A Difficult Road Traveled
by Zelchias
Summary: Mobians and Overlanders have never really gotten along. Chris, the last Overlander Resistance fighter alive, just hopes that the Freedom Fighters are a little different than he's been told. The small rabbit he rescued seems to be, anyways... (Satam/Archie AU)
1. Unrest in the City of Genocide

**Disclaimer: **Obviously, I own nothing here. Everyone and everything here is the explicit property of Sega, Archie, DIC, and lord only knows who else. This is strictly for entertainment and not profit, though the story itself is mine, so please don't steal it (other story thieves will pity you if you do, trust me).

**Note: **The setting utilized here is an Alternate Universe based upon the SatAM and Archie Comics Sonic continuities. While a lot is similar to the source material, it is not an exact copy of either of those settings, as liberties have been taken with the world used and characters involved (some more drastic then others as you'll soon see). Also, this is indeed a story about a character who is regarded by many as something of a blight upon the fandom (and not wholly undeserved at that), so I ask that anyone who does read this keep an open mind and leave constructive criticism behind rather than flames.

**A Difficult Road Traveled**

**Chapter One: Unrest in the City of Genocide**

_The skies darken as an endless metallic shapes swarm above the city, the hum of their hover engines signaling their approach and numbers not unlike the buzzing throb of a hungry cloud of locusts…_

…_there is fire now, fire and death and screaming as buildings, old magnificent buildings and new strong ones reaching to the sky crumble and fall before the march of an infinite numbered legion of metal beasts, their feet clanging and their eyes glowing almost as if in anticipation, weapons raised and ready…_

… _lights are flying through the air, bright and beautiful, bodies burning and bursting upon impact. People are screaming and fleeing, even as the machines surround them and cut them down as they run, brave defenders fighting valiantly if futilely against the ceaseless horde, one by one they fall until they are nothing but blackened bones crushed underneath metallic heels and vehicle treads…_

…_screaming, a woman is screaming… mother! You, mother, father and grandfather were running, running for the military bases, running to escape with your lives. If you can reach the ships, you'll be saved, if you can reach the ships and escape the monsters, you'll get to live. The crowds are panicking like a human herd, mother gets cut off, and she is screaming for help. Father pushes you to grandfather and runs to grab her and you yell for him and try to join in, but grandfather's hand holds firm to keep you back…_

…_mother and father are re-united, he's pulling her over, everything will be fine, they're gonna escape, they're gonna live…!_

…_Now grandfather yells in anguish, and you can only watch in stunned horror as the lights strike mother and father, their bodies bursting into flame as they fall before you, their own looks of shock etched into their faces forever as they plunge to the ground and stare into you even though they are dead. A hulking metal form looms over them, a blood red visor glowing as it marches impassively onward, and you can see the blood from dripping from its hands and feet as it gets closer, and you know in your heart of hearts that YOU ARE NEXT…._

"Aaaaah!"

Chris's scream echoed throughout his small room, his panicked eyes darting about with a feverish glint as he sat up in his bed, body tense and ready to act upon the fear fueled adrenaline coursing through his body, droplets of sweat gracing his forehead. He put a hand to his chest, forcing himself to return to a state of calm. _Assess the situation, Thorndyke… you are not back in Mega Central, there are no Swatbots, there's no one here but you,_ he mentally recited to himself as he observed his surroundings, sighing heavily as took stock the reality of his situation; he was laying upon his uncomfortable cot, under a moldy old blanket, in the same plain, small bunker that he'd made his personal room for the better part of a year. The blue eyed young human hung his head slightly, brushing his reddish-brown hair out of his eyes as he took in a breath and let it out as he returned to a state of calm. "Still dreaming of home… you're losing it, Chris old boy," he murmured to himself as he set his covers aside and stepped out of bed, giving his body a quick stretch before beginning his morning exercises, mentally reciting each and every movement as he carried them out with perfection.

With his morning ritual finished, Christopher would later head for the shower area, bracing himself for the cold water to hit his body as he cleansed himself and fondly recalling the days when it'd been at least lukewarm. In the back of his mind he knew it was absurd to insist on cleaning himself like he was right now, given that he was the only person around for miles, but he had heard somewhere that routine helped to keep one sane in times of crisis. That and the simple fact of the matter was that he enjoyed feeling clean, even if the water was cold as a corpse nowadays. The shower was under a minute long, thirty seconds longer then his usual time, but without any of his superiors around to enforce shower time anymore he decided he was allowed to splurge a little. His shower finished he reached for a towel and dried off quickly before heading back to his room to dress himself.

Opening his locker, he methodically placed the garments contained upon himself in the same order as he had done for what had seemed like an eternity; undergarments first, then socks, then the somewhat baggy grey military vest and trousers, followed by the black combat boots and the black tactical gloves, and finally the black balaclava (he opted to push it down around his neck and allow his head a bit of freedom since there was yet no need for it to cover his face). Next came the military gear, donned with the same kind of precision as his uniform; first the dark grey torso armor and shoulder guards, then the silvery-grey leg guards clipped over his boots, the similarly silver grey arm guards latched on over his gloves, metallic knee and elbow pads, and finally the dark grey utility belt around his waist. The last thing to pull was a out dark grey helmet, which he tucked under his arm as he silently headed out of the locker room.

The next order of business was breakfast. It was easy to located an M.R.E to start off his day (a chicken flavored one even), and he sat on his own in the base's mess hall as he ate. As he chewed on his 'chicken flavored' meal he recalled with some melancholy fascination how the mess hall used to sound just over a year ago; the comforting cacophony of casual chatter held between the various troopers and base personnel, the occasional laughter that would grace his ear and picking up the various bits and pieces of the others lives as they strove together to survive against the horrors unleashed by Robotnik. Chris frowned, mentally berating himself for letting his mind wander down memory lane again, and instead chose to focus his attention on something else as he ate. His eyes wandered up to the banner that hung over the mess hall, one of the constant reminders of what he and his comrades had been fighting for; the flag of Overland.

The stylized golden phoenix displayed with its wings proudly spread against the grey backdrop of the flag, a single black diagonal stripe going from the upper right corner down to the lower left corner, represented many things. In literal terms the phoenix was regarded as something of the personification of human spirit and of Overland's ultimately undying nature; for through every disaster and catastrophe to befall Overland and her children, humans would always arise from the ashes of the past to blaze forward and forge a newer, stronger future for themselves and their descendants. The more abstract meanings of the flag were just as myriad… power, dominance, hope, loyalty, strength of will, progress, unity; all these things and more were what commonly came to mind in the eyes of most humans. Christopher himself was no exception to that, but he found that over the course of the last year the flag's effect on his spirit had lessened, until by this point all he could regard about the flag on any meaningful level was that it looked like it was starting to get cobwebs. It certainly beat ruminating about the past, at any rate.

The past… if there were ever a textbook representation of the phrase 'how the mighty have fallen', Christopher Thorndyke of the House of Galileo's photograph would've been right on the cover. His family was of old stock, one of Overland's great houses; his father was a financial genius who'd brought his family great prosperity and greater prestige, his mother was a beloved actress, his grandfather an eminent scientist and his uncle a courageous vehicle tester for the army. Christopher's early life was one of privileged prestige, with a bright future ahead of him and the promise of endless opportunity. Even in the aftermath of Overland's defeat at the hands of the Kingdom of Acorn, Christopher could count on having a decent enough life… then came Dr. Ivo Robotnik's coup over the Kingdom he'd saved, and his eventual conquest of the rest of Mobius. His parents did not survive the initial assault, and Chris had ended up in this place courtesy of his grandfather and a single surviving family butler, both of whom would eventually join the rest of his family in the afterlife. Leading to the present scene of a single, solitary young human eating in a deserted mess hall under a slowly decaying flag, the last living link the world had to a bloodline that had produced many truly gifted individuals.

Chris finished his meal, depositing the plastic container in a waste basket as he headed out for the armory.

Chris was aware that by this point there was perhaps little reason to arm himself for the coming trip to the city; he'd not spotted an active robot or living human in that city in what felt like an eternity, nor did any of the slowly resurfacing wildlife that began to roost there posed any kind of significant threat. Still, he reasoned, it never hurt to be cautious. Opening the door to the armor he entered, setting his helmet down on a bench as he regarded the walls and walls of weapons before him, hands on his hips. "Let's see now, who do I bring with me today, hmm?" he asked out loud, tapping his chin almost thoughtfully as he leisurely made his way down the rows of varying grades of military hardware, stopping over by the rifles. "Hmm, lead based or plasma based, which one of you gets to go out today…?" he leaned forward a bit as he looked lover the different models of assault rifle; to his left an SD-83 rail gun, and to the right a KNL-Alpha plasma rifle. Both offered unique advantages and disadvantages, and in the end Chris went with the plasma gun. "Terribly sorry, maybe next time," he jokingly apologized to the gun that had been denied the possible chance to see action today.

The aged beyond his years nineteen year old's habit of talking to his equipment was not borne out of madness or a misguided sense of care towards them, but rather to simply hear himself talk. It comforted him, being able to hear a voice speak out words out loud, even if he himself was the source of that voice. The echo-effect the armory had helped things quite a bit in that regard; anything to lessen the fact that he was utterly alone. Having selected his primary weapon for the day, the rest of his equipment followed without much need for contemplation or one sided conversation; he holstered a pistol in his belt (a kinetic based one with explosive tipped bullets for variety), slid a knife into a holster on his boot (weak joints on robots made knives rather useful in close quarters), and placed several EMP grenades into his belt after placing a plasma cartridge bandolier over his chest, attaching it to his rifle. Pulling his balaclava over his head and nose so that only his eyes were left exposed, he donned his helmet and pulled the combat goggles tied to it over his eyes. He was ready now, for Genocide City.

He took a simple military van in his trip to Genocide City. In the earlier days of his isolation he would leave nothing to chance, heading into the city with nothing short of an assault mech to guarantee his safety when venturing into the city. Since those days he'd loosened up to the point where a crude but reliable jeep would be all that was needed for his daily excursion. The road from the base to the city was a lonely and dangerous one, but then that was the point; the twisting paths would make it difficult for enemy ground vehicles (or robots) to travel up towards the well hidden base located in the nearby Krakarov Mountains. The base had never had a nickname or designation other then "The Base" or "Home Base" as long as Chris had been there, nor was he aware of it possessing any special kind of name even back when it was one of the many hidden military bases Overland kept just in case of invasion, such as the one by Robotnik's machine legions. It always struck Chris as a bit odd that there never was any kind of special designation for the place… it was human nature to name things, and leaving something so personal like the place where he and so many had lived nameless struck him as somewhat unnatural.

Up ahead, a ruined city came within his sights.

Metroside City had not been a great city, but it had been a good one, a well sized metropolis and a decent center of economic progress in Overland. Many who'd fled from Mega Central ended up here thanks to the mountain base's proximity to the city becoming known on certain civilian channels that grandfather Chuck had been fortunate enough to hear about. The city itself was already in the process of being ravaged when Chris and what remained of his family arrived at the base, and it showed in the skeletal remains of once proud skyscrapers that covered the city, like the shattered ribs of a giant's corpse facing upward to the sky. The city would develop an appropriately corpselike smell, over the years. Chris was thankful for his balaclava being able to block away the worst of the city's odor, otherwise he'd doubt he would be able to even stand down wind of it much less enter it. As he came closer, he stopped his car in order to gaze up at a half destroyed billboard that none the less seemed like an adequate metaphor for the dead city. For reasons he himself never fully understood, something about the ravaged advertisement fascinated him, particularly that out of all things in the city it had survived the conflict surrounding it.

The sign was faded and decayed, with large holes in it, and at one pointed had said "WELCOME TO METROSIDE CITY: WHERE PROGRESS RULES" in great bold letters against a stylized backdrop of a prosperous looking industrial city. That had been before the Swatbots came and slaughtered those members of the population that couldn't escape in time. Afterwards some vandal had proceeded to spray-paint a few choice alterations over the once uplifting sign; "M" became "G", "S" became "C", and "TR" simply became a large "N", and "PROGRESS RULES" had been replaced with "EVERYONE'S DEAD". Just to complete the picture, a leering skull had been painted underneath the maliciously warped text. Outrageous and disheartening as it was, the name had stuck, and forever more did it come to be referenced as "Genocide City" by the people who now lived in the base. His moment of contemplation done with, Chris proceeded into the city.

He parked his van in an alleyway near the edge of the city, committing the spot to memory, before he began to make his trek further into the dead place. Where it not for the fact that the base was decaying and in need of various replacement parts for key sectors and pieces of equipment, as well as a personal project of his, Chris would likely have never entered the city again. Even when there had been others with him the city always bothered him on a primal level, something his comrades would not have berated him for. Anyone would feel a tad rattled, walking in a city littered with bones. Robotnik's forces were not programmed to make considerations for what to do with the corpses of those they killed; lacking organic senses or any kind of will of their own or morality to dictate such things, they simply let the corpses of those they slew to lay where they'd been shot and decompose away until they became an inconvenience. As a result of that, littering the city streets were always a wide variety of human skeletons, gazing without eyes into the air… Chris at times felt as though they were somehow staring into him, judging him for having the audacity to still be alive.

And this had been before the big battle. In the aftermath, human skeletons nestled in combat gear would be added to the ocean of bones, along with the rusted shells of destroyed robots and a quietly creeping amount of plant life growing over the remains of both man and machine. The sight was miasmic to Chris as he walked through the starkly silent streets of the city, hands clasped tightly around his rifle as paranoia prompted him to be prepared for anything that might happen. The paranoia was something that helped Chris by in this city, for while he had yet encountered any danger, he at least had something to focus on rather than his memories of the battle, the final conflict between his resistance group and the robots occupying the city.

For the better part of a decade, this city had been the entire focal point of Chris' resistance cell. Under the command of Commander Hugo Brass, Chris and countless others fought side by side in the hopes of ousting Robotnik's forces and reclaiming the city in what would surely be a tremendous blow against Robotnik's hold in Overland. The years dragged on, child soldiers grew into adult soldiers over the course of the conflict, and the bodies on both sides piled up. When the humans managed to obliterate the robot production plants that kept the machine forces able to sustain their numbers, it should have ended the conflict right then and there. Machines cannot feel desperation, but something drove their actions and granted them the kind of success that only the desperate could achieve. The remaining robot forces at last uncovered the resistance's headquarters and sent in an attack force to storm the base. Many died, and those who remained joined Commander Brass in a final, desperate strike to reclaim the city and wipe out what was left of Robotnik's army there.

Chris survived. Nothing else did.

The lone human made his way down the streets, consciously aware of the crinkling noise made by the grass and rotted fabric swaying against the soft, chilling breeze that picked up. His eyes twitched at the sound of bits and pieces of metallic debris that managed to be pushed around by the winds, and he had to force himself to not instinctually shoot at the source of the ultimately harmless sounds. As he trod through the city he kept his eyes peeled for any signs of technology that was well preserved enough to be of some use to him. He was near the city square when he came across such an object; a downed hoverpod, ground support model. He'd come across them before, but only rarely was it one that still had the engines intact. The green-grey vehicle's front was crumpled into the dirt and blackened by plasma burns; it was truly miraculous that the thing hadn't detonated on impact. Venturing towards it he located the door at the side and was relieved to see that it'd been shaken open during the crash, making his task of entering and inspecting the engine all the easier.

Pushing the door further open he made his way inside, jerking in shock at the sight of a metallic figure hunched over the dash board of the pilot's seat. The rifle was already up and his finger halfway squeezed over the trigger before he realized the machine was long since deactivated. Cautiously he took a step forward to further inspect the robot, realizing its size and shape was not that of a Swatbot, but rather that of a short canine of sorts. He frowned in realization of what it really was; one of the oddly Mobian looking worker bots that Robotnik kept in his legion to act as cannon fodder and a labor force. Rumor had it that they had once been actual Mobians converted wholesale into machines thanks to a device called 'The Roboticizer'. Chris had often wondered if that was really the case, for if it was, then why did Robotnik not seem to bother with capturing humans to be converted into workers; humans were larger and stronger after all… they'd have made for better slaves then Mobians. A morbid thought to have, but the implications behind Robotnik's lack of interest in his own kind somehow made his actions even more disturbing.

Chris pushed aside the contemplation of the Mobian-like machine and turned around, focusing his attention now on the engine room. Disconnecting his backpack from his torso armor he swiftly removed his toolkit from it, and headed into the dark depths of the pod. Taking a flashlight from his kit he was able to quickly locate the access panel covering the engine, heading towards it and attempting to remove it. The panel was jammed tight shut, but Chris was undeterred, taking a laser-cutter from his toolkit and setting to work carefully slicing through the paneling to remove it. With that obstacle gone he now shined his torch upon the engine. Under his balaclava he smirked triumphantly. "Jackpot," he murmured to himself with a grin, the engine was completely undamaged. "Finally, something going perfect," he muttered as he set about removing a few key components from the unblemished engine, pieces that would prove crucial to his project back at base. Gathering up the parts and placing them in his pack along with his toolkit, he would head out of the hoverpod… and hear the distinct sound of something moving amidst the debris.

For the second time in that day Chris raised his gun and came within a hair's breadth of opening fire without thinking. Rather than machine or man, the source of the sound was instead a small herd of streaking pashas… one male, several females and their foals. He lowered his gun and let out a visible sigh of relief as he did what he could to keep his trembling at bay. The creatures were not an uncommon sight by this point, having grown bolder and bolder over the past year in their excursions into the city due to the overgrowth of vegetation that was slowly consuming the otherwise lifeless burg. Chris paused a moment to look over the odd scene, noting how strangely pristine and pure the animals seemed against the dark and decayed backdrop of the city. After only a moment of this, he headed out to resume his journey through the city, leaving the pashas to graze contently in the midst of the makeshift necropolis.


	2. In the Name of the Fallen

**Disclaimer: **As per usual, nothing at all here is mine save the story itself, everything else belongs to SEGA ultimately.

**A Difficult Road Traveled**

**Chapter Two: In the Name of the Fallen**

For the next hour Chris would comb the city for supplies and for more parts to add his project, in addition to replacement parts for the base's hardware and infrastructure, only to discover that his initial success with the hoverpod was not a portent for the rest of the day. He'd scarcely find anything else of use. Annoyed but content with his meager haul, he relocated the jeep and immediately returned to base, making his way from the vehicle bay and back into the main hall. Removing his helm and lowering his face balaclava over his head, he placed the helm under his arm as he looked about. "Honey, I'm home!" he called out jokingly before heading to the mechanics room. Turning on the lights upon entering, he stood for a moment to behold his project, currently hidden under a white tarp. For an entire minute he just stared thoughtfully at the hidden product of his labors before letting out a sigh and depositing his backpack in the room, the mechanical parts it contained clanging slightly, and promptly walked out. With that portion of his day done, now he would proceed to a more soul crushing duty.

"Is there even a point?" he asked out loud as he began his trek for the communications center. "You've been doing this for over a year without anyone answering… there's not much point to doing this you know," Chris murmured to himself as got closer and closer to his destination. "You're just setting yourself up for a fall… you know this, and yet you're still going to go through with it. I'd say you're a masochist, but you don't particularly enjoy pain," he sighed as he found himself in the central communications room for the base. It was in here that the Krakarov resistance cell had maintained contact with other such groups across Overland, relaying information and exchanging tactics and the like. The communicator however had become silent since the time of the final battle… no messages received, and no hint of any having been sent out being acknowledged. Chris navigated himself towards the communication seat and picked up the vocal transmitter as he stared blankly into the commscreen, and tiredly began to recite words that were by now quite meaningless.

"Attention whoever may be listening, this is Specialist Chris Thorndyke of the House of Galileo, speaking for the Krakarov Mountain Resistance; Metroside city has been reclaimed, and all Robotnik forces have been routed. I am the only remaining member of this cell; I am located thirty miles away from Metroside City in the Krakarov Mountains and will send further coordinates upon response to this message. I repeat, we have achieved victory," he let out a heavy sigh. "We have achieved victory, and I am the only one left alive…" Something cracked in him, and the message for the first time in over a year took a slightly different turn. "Please… if you're out there… if any of you are out there… say something… say anything… I'm begging you…" his voice cracked, and he put the commlink down for a moment as he tried to harden his nerves. For over a year he'd been transmitting this message across Overland's military communications wavelengths, and for over a year he had received no responses what so ever. For over a year he'd had no contact with another human being, and had nothing to give him any evidence that there WERE any other humans left alive on the planet (discounting Robotnik and his equally treasonous nephew Snively… those two forfeited their right to be regarded as human a long time ago). He continued the disheartening ritual for thirty minutes as he always did, before deactivating the comm and slinking out of the communications center, feeling the weight of his isolation bear down on him heavier than it had any day prior.

Most people, when depressed, attempted to alleviate the problem by doing things they enjoyed or otherwise helped to make them happy… Chris had developed a similar tactic, though atypically he did not select an activity that would impact his emotions in a positive way; the goal was to take his mind off his sorrows, and there was nothing that said happiness was the exclusive means of achieving that goal. Chris' next destination would be the security hall, a large room with endless screens showing various rooms within the base and key spots in the surrounding area, including Genocide City. Several of the monitors had died from disuse, showing only static, but plenty still worked and it was for that reason that Chris was down here before the scheduled security check. Sitting down at a nearby computer he began to search out the security footage archives. With patience, he managed to locate the file labeled "Footage: Priority One", and with but a tap of a button the screens lit up as the file's contents played out.

Chris sat back, glaring up at the scene unfolding before him. Three years ago he and his friends had managed to enter one of the machine's bases, hack into their computer files, or at least try to- Robotnik's digital defenses were every bit as fierce as his mechanical ones. What he did manage to get from the computer were security files… all of them focusing on a mysterious individual labeled 'Priority One'. At first glance, Priority One did not look like anything special… just an unremarkable, blue hedgehog. But when the footage played out, it was almost impossible to believe it without seeing it. The blue hedgehog moved fast, faster than the eye could follow, bowling over Swatbots and slicing through machines like a living buzzsaw with an almost ridiculous ease. What scrapes of textual data they could gather had suggested that this hedgehog was a freedom fighter in what used to be the Kingdom of Acorn, and of growing interest to the good doctor. Chris had been mesmerized by the sight, a million questions running through his mind about the hedgehog, and he had blurted out that maybe they'd get lucky and he'd help them out if needed?

The others had laughed at the notion, and Chris would later come to agree with their assessment of his naïve opinion… Mobians cared little for humans, and this hedgehog would likely be no different.

After that he did what he could to learn more about the hedgehog, piecing together a few things… his name was Sonic, he was a freedom fighter, he bested countless machines, Robotnik wanted him dead above all others. The revelations began to infuriate him, just as the footage of the blue hedgehog effortlessly destroying the mechanical demons that had murdered everything he held dear filled him with a righteous feeling of indignation and outrage. He felt his fist clench as he glowered at the various images of the hedgehog succeeding and laughing at the various robots as he destroyed them with ease. How dare he… how DARE he get to have it so easy. How dare he make a mockery of the sacrifices Chris and his comrades had gone through by simply existing and besting the robots enough to make him Robotnik's "Priority One" target. The nineteen year old grit his teeth, the bitter resentment making him forget his sorrows all too easily.

"How do you do it?" he muttered to himself. "How CAN you do it?" This was another thing about the hedgehog that he had begun to obsess over… his speed. What made his speed possible, how could he physically withstand running at those kinds of speeds, what was his maximum speed… all these questions and more constantly circled around Chris' mind ever since he'd seen what the hedgehog could do. Grandfather Chuck had explained to him that certain mobians could draw upon chaos energy to enable them to do fantastic things, and Chris had delved into as much research on the subject as he could muster given the resources at his disposal (which were quite frankly limited), probing his grandfather for all that he could tell him about so called 'Chaos Physics'… within a year and a half he'd come to know more about the mysterious Chaos energy than anyone else on base, for all the good that it did him and his friends. He himself also wondered, at times, what it would be like to possess that kind of power, the kind of power that could allow him to tear through the Swatbots with ease and save his friends and make sure everyone could get out of a scrape alive.

Quivering with rage he slammed his hand down on the console before him to cease the feed, panting a bit as he forced himself to reign in the rage he had deliberately set out to create within himself. When the newfound calm overcame him, a new series of thoughts began to take root in his mind, or more accurately the return to a rather old set of thoughts. Ever since the aftermath of the events from over a year ago, a potential course of action had taken route in his mind, though the uncertainties involved always kept him at bay along with the fact that there was always the slim hope that eventually he would come into contact with more of his own once more. But as the year went on, that hope had slowly burnt out, with today being the day that the last smoldering ember of his hopes fizzling away into ash. Subconsciously he supposed he always knew it would come to this; after all, why would he continue working on his project if he never thought he would need to use it eventually? But he had always stayed behind, stayed in the base, stayed with the vain hope of encountering other humans again, as well as clinging to what had been his home for over ten years and not wanting to abandon another place that meant so much to him.

Standing up from the chair Chris let out a sigh, his face now taking a determined look. "Enough," he said aloud, once more for the comfort provided by his voice and for reasons he wasn't entirely sure of. He began to head out of the security hall, and march further through the base. "I have had enough of this," he murmured out loud once more as he continued through the depths of the base, walking towards the back exit hidden away from all sight. He had made up his mind, there was no going back, nor was there a point to going back from the course he was beginning to take. All that was left now was to say goodbye… to everyone. Locating the exit, he typed in the command code and stepped out into the space behind the base, to the makeshift cemetery where the resistance had laid their dead to rest. It was always a sticking point that they bury their dead, to give their fallen friends more than the machines ever gave their own. It was here that he would at last say 'goodbye'.

The grave markers were never fancy, being simply made from metal with the names of the dead carved into them via application of an arc welder. However, it was appropriate all the same, or so Chris thought as he headed through the rows and rows of markers. Lucky for him, most of the people he needed to thank were clumped together in the same spot, particularly since he had through one way or the other come to oversee their burial. The people who'd mattered the most to him all buried together… Chris felt it selfish of him to claim them like that, but perhaps it was natural to think of people in the context of exclusivity. On occasion, he would come out and speak to them, hold one sided conversations with the headstones as if the people in whose memory they'd been erected were actually alive and well. Today he would do it one last time. After a short walk, Chris came before the gaggle of graves that he was seeking out, swallowing hard as he placed his arms behind his back and began to speak.

"Well guys… this is it," he began, managing to keep the nervousness out of his voice. "I've done everything I can to try and find other survivors and to get the word out that we managed to take down the Eggman's operations here, even if I was the only who made it in the end. I've taken care of the base as best I can, been the most dutiful friend and trooper that I could ever hope to be, but… I'm afraid I can't do this anymore," he confessed with a guilty look to his blue eyes, before looking onward with a fierce determination. "I don't think there are any others left. I've been trying to find them for a year now, and there's been nothing, not so much as a peep. I… I can't do this anymore, I just can't. I love all of you, but now it's time for me to say goodbye. Tonight I will finish my project, and tomorrow morning I will take off for the mobian territories; to Robotropolis." He straightened up, now speaking with a sad kind of confidence. "It's a suicide run, I know, but there's little else left for me to do… I will go to Robotropolis and do everything I can to make sure that fat bastard pays for what he did to you, and to our people. I hope you can find it in yourselves to forgive me for abandoning you now… understand though that you are all important to me, and I regret nothing that came from knowing any of you," he nodded his head solemnly. He realized how absurd, nay, insane this all looked, but he didn't give a damn. It felt right, and if he was the only one here, who would judge him?

His head turned to the first grave, the most important of them. On the headstone was carved 'Charles Thorndyke', and Chris had to steel himself from tearing up before proceeding with his words. "Grandpa Chuck, thank you for being there for me, and thank you for teaching me everything I know. You were the best grandfather a guy could ever ask for, and I only regret that I won't be able to make you proud like I thought I could," he reminisced sadly. His grandfather had been the one to help him to safety when his parents died during the siege of Mega Central, and it had been his grandfather who had taught him all that he'd known about science and technology and Chaos energy, things that Chris used to the greatest advantage in the fight against Robotnik.

…_grandfather had died only two years ago. Chuck Thorndyke was a tough and cantankerous old man, but his age was catching up with him and the constant stress of the war was not helping things. Chris had noticed the hints of what was coming before, but he had denied them, assuring himself his grandfather was far too stubborn to just keel over. He became disenchanted of that notion when his superiors informed him that his grandfather had been located in the laboratory, collapsed over a workbench. He had been working into the night and had stopped to take a nap, and during his slumber had a heart attack. He had died instantly and peacefully, one of the best ways to die nowadays…_

His head turned to the next headstone; Tanaka Kano. "Mr. Tanaka," he began steadily, "Thank you for your dedication and for saving me and my grandfather… I know we said this a lot while you were alive, but you truly were one of the greatest in your field and more then we deserved. And thank you once more for teaching me how to fight and how to keep calm in the face of the horrors we encountered each day. I can't tell you how much your lessons saved my ass and my sanity out in the field." Tanaka had been the family butler and chauffeur, a loyal servant of the Thorndyke family to the very end. It was thanks to him that Chuck and Chris had escaped from Mega Central to begin with, manically driving through the stampeding crowds in his attempt to rescue the employers who'd ordered him to save himself, driving all the way to Metroside City and ultimately enabling them to reach the resistance and join with them. A man of many talents, Tanaka taught Chris about the martial arts practiced by his ancestors and in doing so taught him how to discipline his emotions and focus his mind.

_...Tanaka had been the first of those dear to Chris in the resistance to die, roughly four years ago. Though Tanaka continued to insist upon faithfully serving his masters, even he realized the uses he would have on the field with his quick reflexes and sharp mind. Acquiescing to Commander Brass' orders, he joined up with the commando squadrons that would be sent out into the field to take down machine facilities with as much covert skill as they could manage. One day a piece of shrapnel from a fragmentation grenade managed to catch him in the chest, and even though his team managed to patch him up and get him back to base there was nothing that could be done to stop the internal bleeding. Despite the pain, Tanaka passed away with much of the stoicism that he exhibited in life…_

Finished, Chris turned to face the next of the headstones; Daniel Frankson. He chuckled a bit before starting. "Danny… thanks for being my friend and for being there for me, and for teaching me how to relax despite everything that was going on. Seriously, I can't even imagine how much of a stick in the mud I'd have become if it weren't for you… your optimism was one of the things that made life more bearable in this hole," he smirked. Danny had been in his unit and was the same age as him, a laid back and relaxed fellow despite the tragedies that had befallen him. He had been the means by which a young and traumatized Chris Thorndyke would open up to people again and start to enjoy life, in spite of the fact there seemed like little left to really enjoy.

_...Danny had died only last year, during the final battle with the machines. They both fought hard and long against the robotic hordes in the city, and for a moment it seemed like the both of them were going to make it. But life would not be so kind to the inseparable duo, though ironically it would not be the direct work of a robot that ended Danny's life. A hover unit, blown to hell and spiraling out of the sky, crashed into the two as they fought against the Swatbots. Chris had managed to avoid it… Danny was pinned right under it. Chris desperately tried to free his friend and tell him that everything would be all right, but within moments the light faded from Danny's eyes as the blood poured from his mouth like a red waterfall…_

A small blush came over his face as he turned his gaze to the headstone next to Danny's, the one belonging to Frances Williams. "Oooh boy, Frances…" he murmured to himself, smiling sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Man, I feel awkward for saying something like this, but… thanks for sharing something with me I'd probably have missed out on otherwise," his blush grew, and he shook his head, giving a small chuckle. "Cripes, listen to me… if our positions were reversed you'd have phrased it 'Thanks for introducing me to sex, Chris, really wish we coulda done that more'," he sniggered before regaining a more solemn attitude. "I really do miss you, and I wish we could have had more then what we had together." Frances had been among the soldiers in his age group, and though she'd not been a part of his unit he was close to her all the same. She was a tomboy, a passionate creature who'd managed to lure him into the supply closet and introduce him to a few bits of basic human biology he'd given little thought to despite being at the age when boys typically thought of nothing BUT girls. And despite her having shrugged off their little 'escapades' and assuring him that it was no big deal, Chris couldn't help but desire sharing something deeper with her.

_...it was two years ago that Frances had decided to take their friendship to a more intimately beneficial level, and though she simply waved it off as having a good time Chris loved her all the same, and perhaps with time she'd be able to return what he felt for her. It would also be near the end of that year that her unit would head out into the field, and never return. It would be two years later that he would see her again in the aftermath of the final assault on the city, by sheer idiot's luck stumbling across a uniformed skeleton bearing her dog tags during one of his early excursions in the city. He couldn't really remember how he spent cradling her bones and sobbing like an infant, but he did have the good grace to return to base with her and grant her a proper burial…_

Chris managed to get a hold of himself before he could allow his emotions to overtake him and turned to a headstone with multiple names etched into it, a rarity in the graveyard in that it was a dedication for an entire team rather than a single individual. 'IN HONOR OF PALADIN TEAM' it read, and underneath lay several names belonging to the best of the best in the resistance. "Honch, Rico, Spike, and everyone else… I didn't know you guys as closely as I could have, and I doubt that you'd remember me all that well, but I have to thank you all the same. Thanks for giving me something to aspire too and for saving my life in the field all the times you guys did," Chris stated simply, feeling no intense amount of sentiment for the downed team but none the less feeling honor bound to give the fallen team its due. Paladin Team had been Commander Brass' personal squadron, former army commandos and the very best the resistance had to offer. Chris had served under them and been saved by them a multitude of times, and like many young soldiers in the resistance he too idolized them to a certain degree.

_...It had been Paladin Team who was responsible for that final, fatal mission that would obliterate the Swatbot production factories that kept their numbers in the area up despite how many of them fell to resistance weapon fire. They'd gone behind enemy lines to wreak havoc many times in the past, but the only difference this time around was that they didn't come back. Despite the high many felt from the victory, more than a few felt disheartened by the loss of their greatest heroes to the machines. The ceremony honoring their sacrifice had been heart rending, and Chris would have sworn he saw moisture in the eyes of the Commander…._

"And finally you, Commander," Chris sighed out as he turned to gaze down at the final metallic headstone, the one he had erected to honor the memory of Commander Hugo Brass. "I mean you no disrespect Sir, honoring you last," he stated as though he were speaking directly to the Commander, using the same deferential and respectful tone he would have used when addressing his leader. "Thank you for making our collective survival over the years possible and for giving us the hope that we would prevail even when things seemed their darkest. Even though things didn't end like you would have wanted, you were still a good leader, and it was an honor to serve under you," Chris gave a prompt salute and a nod to the headstone as he finished his words. Commander Hugo Brass had had quite a career before becoming leader of the local resistance cell; a decorated officer, veteran of the Great War, a military record as long as a man's arm, it was because of him that the Krakarov base had opened its doors to the fleeing civilians, and it was he who trained those civilians to become soldiers when it was clear that the military personnel already there would not be enough against the machines. He had truly been a remarkable man.

… _Chris could never be too certain about it, but he had this horrible feeling at times that before the Commander had ordered the final assault, something in him had snapped. The destruction of the Swatbot factories should have ended the conflict right then and there, but instead the robots went into 'destroy all that moves' mode and began assaulting the mountains with a reckless abandon, enough to trap the remaining humans in their base like rats, those that hadn't been massacred in the initial onslaught. Commander Brass refused to have his men die like trapped rats, and so had worked everyone into a frenzy to go out and give their all against the machines still situated in Genocide city. Chris was never able to find his body, but he liked to think the Commander had gone down in a style befitting him, a blaze of glory taking down as many of Robotnik's war machines as he could…_

"You all gave me a lot, and I owe it to you to at least try and avenge your sacrifices," Chris then gazed out to the rest of the markers. "I promise I will do everything I can to make it to Robotropolis, to take our battle right on Robotnik's doorstep and hurt him as much as I can. I will do everything in my power to accomplish this, and I even if it takes my very last breath to accomplish I will make that bastard loose a pound of his flesh for every inch he took from us." Chris nodded grimy, a harsh determination written on his features before he softened up once more and gazed gently upon the headstones of his friends and family. "I'd… I'd drink a toast to your memory, but I couldn't find anything that would really fit the occasion. All I can do now is say thanks for everything, and goodbye forever," he felt moisture sting the corner of his eyes as he spoke. "I will never forget you, and I WILL avenge you." With that he wiped at his eyes, gave a fierce salute, and tuned around to head back into the base. Without stopping he immediately made his way back into the mechanic's bay, to where his project lay in wait for him. "Alright," he murmured grimly, "Let's finish you up." With that proclamation, he tore away the tarp to reveal the end result of a past year's labor; the final resort that he knew would eventually come but had hoped would not be needed.

It was a vehicle; a unique hover craft that'd been constructed and modified by Chris himself, something he took more than a little pride in. It was colored varying shades of grey and possessed a construction not unlike that of a hover speeder, though unlike those fragile things this craft possessed bulk and armor that would afford it a sufficient degree of protection against attackers. Chuck Thorndyke had taught his grandson much about technology and engineering, and those same skills that had made Chris so useful against Robotnik's forces had been put to use devising a means for him to make the long trip to Mobian territories without having to worry about running out of fuel half way into the trip. Chris had begun making it shortly in the aftermath of the final battle for Genocide City, the initial plan being that he would use it to seek out survivors elsewhere if they made their presence known, utilizing enough fuel to get him all over the continent if needed. Barring that, it could just as easily be used to head out into the wider world. The base itself had a few vehicles left, but none that would be able to help him in the long run in his mission against Robotnik; the fighter craft would be easily detected by Robotnik's aerial defenses and destroyed, and none of the ground vehicles or speeders had fuel enough to make the trip, including the mechs. Chris had often fantasized about flying into Robotropolis inside one of those mech suits, laying waste to an army of machines before going after the Eggman himself… unfortunately, making a trip to Robotnik Empire territory was quite impossible in a mechsuit alone, and so he had created this; the personalized hover ship he dubbed 'The Deliverance'.

The Deliverance's design was based on being a midway point between a conventional hover speeder and one of Robotnik's own hover pod designs; the engines were in fact lifted wholesale from Robotnik's own creations. Loathe as Chris was to admit it, the doctor was a genius, his hover engine designs far more energy efficient than any of the ones utilized by the resistance. Several features of The Deliverance were in fact looted from Robotnik's own creations, as well as with a few things borrowed from the vehicles utilized in the base. The design was practical, allowing a perfect combination of armored defense and speed, and took up little enough power that he could make it into Mobian territories, if his calculations were correct (as they tended to be). Motion detection grid, plasma cannons to the front, on board data storage and digital maps… it really was a work of art, and he almost regretted the fact that it would likely not see much direct action against Robotnik's forces. Donning a protective leather smock and a welding mask, he pulled over his backpack opened up the panel covering The Deliverance's incomplete engines. Taking a welder in hand he would work long into the night to perfect his creation; he'd made a promise of revenge in the name of the fallen, and to see that vow through he would endure anything and everything to make sure his means of carrying it out was perfected.


	3. Out from Overland

**Note: **My apologies for this one taking as long as it did; my account was undergoing technical difficulties.

**Disclaimer: **You should know the drill by now; nothing here is owned by me, I'm screwing around with someone else's ideas in the name of fun and no profit. Everything here is the property of SEGA, while the story itself is mine.

**A Difficult Road Traveled**

**Chapter Three: Out from Overland**

Mercifully, Chris' dreams didn't come to him as he slept, granting him a rare blissful sleep as he rested for the night. Rather than return to his bed, he had instead spent the entire night working on The Deliverance, fine tuning it and running test programs to further enhance its overall efficiency. He didn't recall what time it was precisely when he finally gave out and slumped over the work bench to let the calm of sleep overtake him, nor did he particularly care if he awoke at his usual time or not… today was a day where things would change, and there was nothing that said he had to keep a schedule anymore. With an exhausted yawn he awoke, stretching out and popping his back slightly as he smacked his mouth a bit to adjust to the taste of morning. Rubbing his eyes, he looked over to The Deliverance, to the end result of over a year's labors and gave a small smile. "Alright then," he murmured as he stood up, standing before his creation with his arms crossed over his chest. "Let's see if any of Gramps' lessons had any effect, eh?"

He went through his usual morning ritual; shower, clothes, equipment, breakfast, all in that precise order and with little alteration. However what followed would be decidedly different from the schedule he'd been following like clockwork for a year now, for instead of heading out into a dead city once more he would focus his energies on stockpiling supplies for the journey to come. He raided the inner depths of the base, taking everything from MREs to toilet paper and tooth paste, aware that he'd have to rely on these things for as long as he could manage. Even as he stocked up he imagined precisely how he would go about his plan against Robotnik… he'd head for Robotropolis and find a convenient area just outside the city, set up a base of operations there and then dedicate the rest of his life to haranguing and harassing the Eggman with everything he had. He'd take everything he could from the fat bastard, and do everything in his power to make him suffer for his crimes.

With his supplies and weapons safely nestled away in the backseat of The Deliverance, Chris climbed in to the driver's seat and strapped himself in, placing his hands to the control console as he took in a deep breath. Despite the enthusiasm he'd felt for this plan earlier, the inevitable sense of hesitance now crept over him. He'd spent over ten years living in this base and had not strayed far from it over the course of his career as a resistance fighter, to say nothing of having never been outside Overland itself. The young human swallowed dryly, nervousness overtaking him, and to calm himself he began to check off the list of things needed for the journey. "Alright Thorndyke, let us review," he murmured to himself as he looked into the backseat. "Food? Check. Weapons and armor?" he gave a small chuckle as he looked over the miniature armory he'd brought with him. "Big time check. Replacement parts? Check. Map?" At the mention of this he pulled out a PDA and typed about, bringing up a holographic display of Mobius, two dots pinpointing himself and his relative distance to Robotropolis. "Check. Miscellaneous modern essentials that'll probably only weigh me down?" He gave another chuckle. "So very checked," he smirked as he looked over the map once more trying to decide which area might make the best base of operations… The Great Forest provided excellent coverage against surveillance, but the vastness of the Great Plains would make it difficult to track him down, particularly if he hid himself in one of the mountain ranges nearby. He found himself idly wondering what the Mobian preoccupation with naming everything in their territory 'Great' indicated about them as a people, only to shake his head at the distraction and promptly deactivate the PDA. "Okay, enough stalling," he murmured to himself as he set his hands to the controls, a determined look in his eyes. "Let's roll."

Using the onboard computer he remotely activated the vehicle bay's doors, watching as they slowly opened up to a typically grim looking day. Pressing the power button, he felt a thrill shoot through his heart as the soft hum of The Deliverance's hover engines echoed within the ship itself, power coursing through the circuitry and cable of the personalized hover vehicle to send it aloft, the mechanical feet upon which it rested retracting up into the ship as it took to the air. The bay doors now opened fully, and Chris placed his hand on the thrust lever, carefully adjusting the engine's power output. Slowly The Deliverance headed forward, reaching optimum speed within only a few moments, and Chris felt his heart hammer against his chest as the reality of what he was doing began to dawn on him. He was actually going through with it… he was actually going to leave the base, leave Genocide City, leave Overland and everything he'd ever known behind and head off for Mobian territories. The Deliverance easily maneuvered itself around the rocky and rough terrain surrounding the mountain base, and Chris could not help but to laugh as exhilaration overtook him and he exerted more power through The Deliverance's systems and increased speed to agilely soar over the obstacles that would have impeded a ground bound vehicle. Some of the resistance pilots had once told him about the kind of feeling that flight gave, a giddy kind of sensation that was hard to describe exactly… Chris found himself agreeing; he could not describe what it was he was feeling in exact terms, but all he knew was that it felt GREAT.

He passed by Genocide City without even looking at it twice, and once he was beyond the city limits he would find himself amidst the desolate northern plains of Overland. With the thrill of heading out having run its course, his mind returned back to business and he activated a map on a computer screen to recall the planned route he had decided to take in order to reach the Mobian lands. Metroside City (and the mountain base that had been near) to it was among those cities furthest north in Overland, which granted him relatively easy access to a means of getting to Mobian territories; the subcontinent of Overland was connected to the main Mobian continent of Mobos via a land bridge up in the north that bordered along the inhospitable Northern Tundra, and even getting through the continental bridge wasn't an instant guarantee for separating the bridge from the rest of the Mobos was a large swathe of environmentally unstable land known as 'The Forbidden Zone' to humans and the 'Great Unknown' to Mobians (again Chris had to wonder about the obsession with 'greats'). Dangerous as it all was, it was still the safest and surest route; reports from other resistance cells in Overland revealed that Robotnik's forces constantly patrolled all the other possible fast routes, and any of the others were simply beyond his means to travel. He would have to take his chances with what he'd planned out, and that was that. He had enough power to last him twelve days if things all went according to plan, and in would take roughly five days for him to reach the heart of Robotnik Empire territory and begin his mission against Robotnik himself.

As Chris flew he could see a series of blackened buildings under a horribly dark sky up ahead, and he knew precisely what they were. Those were the rusted ruins of the robot production factories that had fed the occupying forces of Genocide City, long since destroyed thanks to the brave sacrifice of Paladin Team. He had nothing to fear from them by this point. Still as he drew closer, he could not help but feel a shudder at how unnatural the destroyed factory-city looked, like a rusted blight upon the very land itself. It chilled him to his core, and he was thankful to pass it buy as he continued northward. With little else to do save fly, Chris was allowed time to think… specifically, to think about Mobians.

He'd thought of them often enough before he'd decided on his journey, but he was aware there was a strong chance that he'd end up encountering them if he was unlucky. Mobians and humans had been at each other's throats for as long as either race could remember, and he somehow doubted that the Great War and the advent of Robotnik had done much to change that. He wondered what he would do if he encountered any of them… he wasn't sure what he'd do, or what to even feel concerning them honestly. He'd grown up amidst many veterans of The Great War, most of whom held little respect for the victors of that conflict. The phrases exchanged and the exact words used differed, but the general consensus was that Mobians were a bunch of weak, primitive little savages whose only accomplishments of the past century had been at the hands of Overland's outcasts and traitors rather than by their own labors, and this included their victory in the war.

Tempering Chris' own views on the matter was the fact that his own grandfather often had a more positive take on Mobiankind; he pointed out that yes, they were typically smaller and weaker than humans and yes, their technology was underdeveloped and their society even more so, but those were not reasons to presume superiority over them. Mobians had after all managed to live in relative peace with one another for many centuries despite the bloody conflicts of their ancient past, as well as managing to do so in spite of the obvious differences between the varying breeds of Mobian. There was something to admire in that fact, grandfather had said, and Chris at some level agreed with that assessment. It also helped that a few others more versed with Mobians then himself within the base spoke well enough of them for Chris to comprehend that there was more to them then what the majority of humans perceived, though there was enough bad spoken of them for him to remain wary of the idea of meeting any. Chris could honestly say he did not know what he would do if contact was forced, but he promised he would protect himself at all costs… and in his heart, he had a feeling that any interaction to be had with Mobians would end in bloodshed.

As planned, over the course of the next few days Chris would fly across the land bridge connecting Overland to the homelands of humanity's longtime foes. He would come to learn of desolate environs that made the bleak plains of northern Overland seem like a lush paradise by comparison; the land bridge held no resources that Chris could appreciate and appeared to be little more than frost bitten scrub lands that envied even the harsh lands north to them. The Northern Tundra could at least support intelligent life, but the land bridge seemed almost designed to keep only the most meager idea of life in any form around. Chris was thankful for the luck he'd had in his trip thus far; none of the expected poor weather he'd feared would head his way via a downdraft from the north. Chris was almost tempted to convince himself that maybe this trip would be a breeze, but the sight ahead did a right quick job of dispelling him of that notion. In the distance he could see it, the vortex like collection of clouds and the dancing streaks of discolored lightning that shot forth from them… he had located the Forbidden Zone.

Whether known as the Forbidden Zone or as the Great Unknown, the stretch of land that lay between Mobos and the Northern Tundra was something of an awe inspiring environmental anomaly; miles of inhospitable desert lands besotted by constant electrical storms and turbulent winds. Even as he approached the navigational equipment on The Deliverance began to fizzle and short out from the proximity to the electromagnetic insanity that lay ahead. No one had ever been able to figure out the precise cause of the area's intense environment, but the origins of the Forbidden Zone's horrific weather was far away from Chris' mind at the moment as his focus was instead on surviving. The human gulped a little as he kept a steady hand on the yoke of the ship. "Oh merciful God, if you can hear me PLEASE let the shielding hold out," he murmured to himself as he drew closer to the electrical tempest before him. "After all the crap you put me through, you owe me that much," he remarked dryly even as he braced himself. Within moments The Deliverance was officially inside the zone, and already Chris was starting to regret choosing this particular route even if it had been the most logical choice ('most logical' meaning 'high risk route with the lowest chance of getting him killed'). Within moments he could feel his hovership jostle about as the armor itself rattled, and Chris could feel a mild chill from the thrashing winds seep through despite his vehicle's armor, something that he'd managed to ignore even during the trip through the frosty land bridge.

The engines of The Deliverance were pushed into full thrust just to keep on course, and Chris made sure to hang low to the ground, bobbing and weaving chaotically in his desperation to avoid being hit by an errant lightning bolt. He was wishing he'd brought sunglasses or protective lenses, the flashes surrounding him were near blinding and making it difficult for him to watch where he was going and the thunderous noises accompanying it made it harder to think. At the very least he was keenly aware that he was likely either going to crash into a rock formation, get blown out of the sky by lightning, or buffeted about by the winds so badly that he'd have no longer have any recognition of up from down… but still he pressed onward. Panic and determination intermixed in him as he braved through the harsh conditions, swearing that he would make it through this even if it killed him. He'd come this far, and now that he was so close to his goal, there was little else that mattered. A bolt struck the ground by him and his ship rocked violently, causing Chris to yelp in terror before stabilizing his craft and continuing on even as his nerves tensed to the point of snapping. For what seemed like an eternity, Chris flew through the electromagnetic maelstrom, several times only just barely evading being struck by white hot electrical death, his body hunkered down and his mind intensely focused... and then it stopped.

Chris hadn't noticed how suddenly the madness surrounding him had ceased, by that point he was too busy muttering a survival mantra regarding fear being the mind killer and the cause of total oblivion to notice immediately. However, when at last it dawned on him that the loud noises and bright flashes signaling his impending doom had ceased, he stopped his mantra and actually took a look around him. Instead of a chaotic wasteland, there were vast open plains, and the storm cloud dominated skies that had haunted him were now gone, leaving a clear night's sky overhead as he made his journey. Chris blinked, and then he began to laugh in triumph. "I've done it… I've actually done it! I made it!" he yelled out enthusiastically, scarcely believing that he had in fact just crossed over into Mobos, alive and in one piece. Exhilaration at his victory swelled in his chest and he felt a sense of giddiness. Laughing in a way he'd not done in a long while, he began to zigzag about in the sky, doing flips and twirls with The Deliverance, feeling an urge to show off his joy even if there was no one to see it. When he finished, he continued on his planned path forward, eyes shining brightly as he made his way into the Great Plains. "I did it guys… I made it to Mobos," Chris whispered to himself. "I'm one step closer, one step closer…"

He'd made it into the Great Plains, the home of the Wolf Pack nation. From what little he knew about the region was that the wolves had managed to maintain a sort of independence from mainstream Acorn Kingdom Culture; for centuries the Acorn family had waged war with the wolves, attempting to subdue and absorb them as they had done with many of the other plains dwelling Mobians, only to eventually decide on a compromise that would promise the Wolf Pack's loyalty in exchange for the preservation of their culture. There was more to it, Chris was sure, but right now he wanted to bask in the glory of what he'd done… and then, a loud yawn escaped his throat and with it came a sudden crushing sense of exhaustion. The adrenaline rush from earlier have run its course, he was now acutely aware of the fact that he was dead tired. He'd done everything in his power to get as little sleep as humanly safe so as to save time in his trip and after the roughly half a dozen near death experiences back in the Forbidden Zone, his body was in desperate need of sleep. "Alright Thorndyke, enough patting yourself on the back… gotta find a place to rest," he murmured to himself hazily, turning on the lights of his craft and trying to scope out a convenient place where he could park his hovercraft. While he could easily just set the ship in the middle of a field he was uncomfortable with the idea of being so exposed to potential enemies, a holdover from the days in the resistance. His light shone over what appeared to be large crevice in the plains, a small canyon formed from the tear in the earth. With his curiosity piqued he headed for it, and to his delight he found that the crater was big enough for his ship to fly down into. He would quickly find a spot down at the base of the crater where he could safely park his ship and keep it hidden away from sight.

With sufficient cover achieved, Chris readied himself for sleep and leaned back into The Deliverance's pilot seat, the chair sliding back slightly to provide a modicum of comfort. In doing this Chris had a chance to gaze up into the night's sky, and it was at that point he noticed the stars. He blinked as the realization of what they were dawned upon him… it had been years, literally years since he'd last seen stars. Northern Overland was notoriously cloudy even on the best of days, and when the robot factories had gone up it had choked the sky with thick smog and thus killing the light of the stars. "Wow…" he murmured to himself, smiling softly as he admired the shining stars above him. "How long has it been?" he asked himself aloud as he became transfixed by the softly glowing space born lights that hovered millions of miles away from the planet itself. He was suddenly struck by a memory of his mother and of himself as a six year old, her singing 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' to him… the full version, not the shortened version that most parents used on their children. A heavy sigh escaped Chris, and he closed his eyes to the celestial vision above him, allowing himself to slowly drift off into sleep as the gentle memories of his mother's singing lulled him into the blissful embrace of slumber.

_He was someplace green… a park, that's right; this was Mega Central City Park. He could see other kids playing around in the park, with each other and with their parents. He wanted to join, but he was shy and scared that no one would like him. And for that reason he remained with his parents at the site of their own picnic even as he longed to partake in games with the others. Mother and father both wore looks of concern, and father even told him that he should give it a shot and head out with the other children, but he insisted that he was fine just where he was. Then suddenly a red rubber ball fell from the sky, colliding with father's head and nearly bowling him over. A young girl Chris' age walked up to the picnic, bowing her head and apologizing profusely for clonking father on the head. Chris kept quiet as he picked up the ball and stared at her shyly. She introduced herself as Cindy, and as he handed over the ball he gave his own name. She asked if he would like to play, and he said yes. Soon he was with others his age, frolicking about and kicking the ball too and fro, and Chris now wondered what he'd been worried about. He stopped a moment to look back at his parents with an excited smile. The grass, the trees and the buildings were burning, and where his parents had been where a pair of blackened skeletons waving back at him, while other mobile bones played and made merry around him. His eyes widened and he felt a hand at his shoulder, and he turned to face the source. Cindy was talking to him about something, which was a rather remarkable accomplishment considering that she had somehow been burned to ashes while all around them the world simmered and burned, choking the skies black and leaving the earth a charred wreck. And still everyone played as if everything was just fine._

Chris awoke with a start, wincing as he was nearly blinded by the sunlight that had managed to make its way down into his hideout. He shook his head and groaned, rubbing his eyelids together in mild exasperation. "Well, we're making progress at least… that one only ENDED horribly," he groused, grunting as he stretched out his body. "Alright then, Thorndyke, you've done the impossible and actually made it to Mobos with your ship and your equipment intact… where to go from here, though?" he asked aloud as he powered up his ship and activated the holographic map of the continent. Without access to a GPS he could only guess at his exact position in this particular part of the continent, but a rough estimate placed him at fifteen or so miles from the Forbidden Zone. Putting a hand to his chin, he surveyed his options across the Great Plains. The plains themselves were habitable and vast enough for him to hide himself, but he needed to be closer to Robotropolis down southward. Down there his best options were either the Great Forest or one of the surrounding mountain ranges, and while he knew mountain environs better than he did forests, he also could not discount the usefulness of the natural foliage to keep cover. "Right, that settles it then… the Great Forest, or bust," he chuckled.

Setting the hover engines upward, he very carefully maneuvered The Deliverance up out of the crevice, wincing at the sound of metal scraping up against the rocky walls of his hiding spot. Luckily there was no damage beyond a tarnished paint job, and soon enough Chris was once more airborne though he winced a bit as his eyes adjusted to the bright morning sun. "Should have put the combat goggles on," he remarked to himself wryly as he rubbed his eyes rapidly before he was at last able to gaze out at the sight before him. "Whoa…" he blinked in astonishment as he beheld the full grandeur of the Great Plains from the vantage point of his hovercraft. Before him there lay a vast expanse of the plains, green grass and rolling hills dotting the landscape as mountains framed the picture before him in the distance. Chris had never seen anything like this before in person, and for a moment he was struck by the beauty of the lands… only for his attention to become diverted by a decidedly less pleasant sight far off into the distance. A black, bleak cloud hovered somewhere beyond the horizon, not unlike a splotch of ink that'd been spilled upon a masterwork of art; an ugly and unwanted blemish detracting from the otherwise flawless beauty of the piece. It could only be Robotropolis, and it brought a feeling of disgusted astonishment to Chris at being able to see the first trace evidence of his eventual goal. He found his mind staggered by the idea that anyplace could be so polluted that its very toxins could serve as a beacon even at this distance. Even the pollution problems back home could not begin to match the implications that the distant cloud presented.

With a frown Chris directed his aircraft forward, bringing up an onscreen map to scope out the terrain he was flying toward. Something that caught his eye was the fact that just a few hours ahead there was a large lake, and Chris very suddenly became aware of the fact that he'd not bathed in two days, the grimy feeling of being unwashed suddenly becoming a pronounced sensation on his person. He cringed a bit, not even daring to picture how he smelled right about now. He knew logically it was an absurdity to care about such things in the face of his mission, but Chris really couldn't help that he enjoyed the sensation of cleanliness as much as he did. He mentally debated the pros and cons of heading for the lake, weighing his options and reminding himself of the dangers involved engaging in such frivolity as bathing before locating a safe place to construct his hideout… alas, his desire for cleanliness won out. Hours of careful flight later he located the lake, a fair sized body of water that was fortuitously surrounded by a number of rock formations, a few even consisting of the curious loop shaped ones that seemed to spring up all across the planet. There were numerous theories behind those peculiar loops, but they were far from the human's mind at the moment. Landing the ship down by a large rock near the lake, he sifted around his supplies and located a towel and a laser pistol before heading out for the lake. Swiftly removing his uniform and armor he tested out the waters with some trepidation, only to discover to his joy that the water was fine, warm even. Certainly warmer then the waters had been back at the base. A feeling of childish excitement overtook him, and he walked back and then charged forward, leaping into the air and tucking himself into a ball. "Cannonball!" he cried out before submerging with a splash, sighing with relief as he surfaced.

He'd spend close to thirty minutes in the lake, splashing around and enjoying the sensation of swimming for the first time in over a decade. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd done something like this, just enjoying himself in the water and splashing about like a fool; after a decade of doom and gloom and a year of isolation and despair, it was a much needed change of pace. Realizing he how much time had been spent fooling around, Chris immediately began to head back to shore, mentally chastising himself even as he proceeded to dry off and re-dress himself. _Cripes, Thorndyke, get a grip… you spend a few days from home and you're already letting yourself get lax, _he thought to himself with a self recriminating grimace. _Granted, the water WAS awesome, and it really did feel good to relax for a bit, _he smirked as he holstered his laser pistol and made his way back to The Deliverance. He wondered then if maybe he was taking things too seriously. "You'll kill yourself with stress before the bots ever get a chance to finish you off," he noted aloud with an amused chuckle as he approached The Deliverance, only for the jovial mood to evaporate upon spotting the sight of a light on the control console blinking. "Oh no," he intoned quietly as he rushed over to check the motion detection array, his face paling a little. "Oh… shit!"

A blip was showing up on the array screen, something was approaching his position and fast! "Shit-shit-shit!" he swore to himself rapidly as he frantically reached towards the back of the ship, towards the weapons cache he'd brought along with him. Unfortunately one look at the proximity alert would tell him he'd have no time to get anything of substance, and he retreated behind a large rock formation and drew his laser pistol. "Oh damn, you picked a fine time to goof off," he cursed to himself as he readied for combat, peeking around the corner of the formation to get a glimpse of the approaching enemy. High in the sky he could see it, the sickeningly familiar form of a Robotnik Empire Hoverpod, the sort utilized for patrol duty. It descended down towards The Deliverance and landed nearby, the side doors opening to allow a trio of Swatbots to march on out towards the Chris' ship. Chris could hear the staccato chatter of the machines but he could not make out their exact words, and he swallowed heavily as he broke out into a sweat. This was bad on so many levels… this solitary patrol group was likely part of a larger fleet, and somehow this single ship had detected his flight. It had to have been the particle emissions of The Deliverance's engine that did it; they must have detected the traces left behind on his travels and decided that it warranted further investigation. If this ship's crew contacted the main host he'd be swarmed by Hoverpods and Buzzbombers and every other kind of flying metal nightmare that typically made up a patrol fleet.

He'd be done for unless he acted quickly. He had to get their attention, and he knew the best means to accomplish that; with a yell he leapt from his hiding spot and opened fire, three times, three laser rounds rushing towards the Swatbot trio. One shot missed a bot by an inch, but the other two managed to strike a Swatbot directly in the chest, blowing it wide open and sending it down in an instant. Its comrades responded just as quickly, raising their arms and returning fire with their own arm mounted weaponry. Chris swiftly withdrew back to his hiding spot, but he did not manage to escape unscathed; he could feel several layers of his flesh incinerated from his arm, and he forced back a scream. The smell of his own sizzled flesh reached his nose as he looked down upon the newly acquired wound; luckily it was only a grazing shot, otherwise an entire chunk of his arm would have been missing. With a growl he gripped his weapon, listening as the Swatbots declared their intent in that forbidding monotone he'd learnt to despise utterly.

"SURRENDER, HUMAN, AND-SUBMIT-TO-EXTERMINATION!"


	4. Sundered Oasis

**Disclaimer: **As per usual, I shall give you my spiel; I do not own anything in this story save for two characters who have obviously never before appeared in any Sega related media and as such could only be my own, minor as they are. Otherwise everything else is not mine, I own nothing, this is for fun and not profit and the only other thing to belong to me is the story itself. All other things not mine, belong to Sega.

**A Difficult Road Traveled**

**Chapter Four: Sundered Oasis**

He had to get them away from the ships, both his and the Swatbots' and that meant putting himself in more deliberate danger. Taking one of them down had put them into 'alert' mode, and if he killed another the last one would be able to remote activate a distress signal from the Hoverpod and thus ensure that he would be thoroughly screwed. Instead, he once more opened fire, this time at random, and then dashed off back for another formation of as the Swatbots gave pursuit, returning fire all the way. It was risky, but the end results would be for the best; they were still in pursuit mode, their assessment of his overall threat to themselves still low enough that their programming deduced that they could take him down without the need for further assistance.

Chris had done this many times before, but there was still the lightning hot sense of panic thrumming through his person; back in the city he knew every which way to turn his surroundings to his advantage, but he was out of his element here in the open plains. He turned sharply to head toward a particularly ominous looking rock pile, panting a bit as he scrambled up it to gain some elevation over his robotic adversaries. The two Swatbots were pursuing him with the expected, damnable relentlessness they'd always had, and Chris swore softly when he realized that he'd left a trail of tracks in the dirt when he ran. They were starting to climb up towards his position as best as their bulky metallic frames would allow, and Chris knew that he'd have to work quickly to kill the two of them at once or at least within a few seconds of each other.

Leaning up behind the top part of the formation his heart nearly gave way when he felt his cover nudge slightly, but this panic would soon transform into the distinct feeling of realization as a desperate idea formed into his head. The rocks he was hiding behind were loose, large, and heavy… why bother wasting ammo when he could hopefully, nearly literally kill two birds with one stone? Immediately he began to push against the rocks, slamming his body against them in an effort to nudge them along further. "THERE-IS-NO-ESCAPE," droned out one of the Swatbots, who by now was starting to sound dangerously close as the grating sound of metal scraping against stone grew proportionately louder. Turning his back, he pressed it against the stones and dug his feet into the rock beneath him and started to push with all the strength his desperation would grant him, breaking out into a fine sweat as he mentally begged the ancient fixture to just give way. The metallic clanking of robotic feet grew, and his blood froze into ice when he heard the Swatbots speak once more, loud enough for him to know that they were upon him.

"SURRENDER-AND-PREPARE-FOR-!" Then there was the sound of rocks tumbling, and Chris let out a startled yell as he fell backward, wincing as he impacted against the hard surface of the formation. The bundle of rocks at the top fell forward in a miniature avalanche, a chorus of metal crushing and stones cracking echoing in Chris' ears as he shakily got to his feet. With a pained hiss he clasped at his wounded arm and looked down below at the base of the formation; the Swatbots were in pieces, shattered and buried under heavy rocks. He sighed in relief, having for the moment been spared the chance of their compatriots seeking him out. "Swatbots," he sneered disdainfully before wincing once more, the pain in his arm flaring up.

Heading back down and pulling out a medical kit from his supplies, Chris treated the minor wound and wrapped it up, though a frown continued to grace his features even in the face of his victory over the Swatbots. He'd gotten careless for the first time in years, and it had very nearly cost him his life and put all his efforts to waste. "Stupid-stupid-stupid," he muttered to himself, smacking his own head in lieu of there being anyone else to do the deed in retaliation for his act of moronic ineptitude. "Cripes, was the only thing keeping you alive in the field was everybody constantly screaming at you to keep moving?" he snorted to himself, shaking his head. Today an important lesson had been learnt; he could not afford to take things easy even if he was getting all the closer to his goal, or even if things seemed safe… _especially_ if things seemed safe at that. Safety was as much an illusion here as it had been back home, and he could not allow himself to forget that just because he'd gone a few days without some kind of machine trying to kill him. With this thought firmly entrenched in his mind, Chris looked over to where the Swatbots lay buried under stone.

One had been crushed under the largest of the rocks, though its chest and upper torso remained exposed even as the rest of it had been flattened, while the other had been completely buried. Blue eyes shined with a bit of malice as the human promptly trod over to the exposed Swatbot, reared his leg back, and promptly gave it a firm kick in the head. The blow sent the appendage soaring, and it skidded a few times before stopping at last. Allowing himself a childish snigger at the act, he then headed back to The Deliverance and entered it, activating the hover engines and slowly ascending to the sky. Opening the side door, he rummaged about the back of the ship and managed to procure a plasma grenade; placing his arm out, he pressed the grenade's detonator button and dropped it by the Swatbot's hoverpod before kicking The Deliverance into high gear and speeding away. Thirty seconds later the grenade went off, blowing a sizeable chunk out of the side of the enemy ship, and Chris allowed himself a satisfied smirk as he continued onward in his mission.

It would be later in that day, near the evening as a matter of fact, when another pair of figures would make their way across the lake Chris had stopped by. Unlike the solitary human, these two knew the area with the same intimate familiarity that they knew the backs of their own hands. They had spotted the faded plume of smoke that had been produced by the burning hovercraft, and chose to investigate it rather than remain hidden. The two were a pair of Mobian wolves, and at the moment they were more than a little perplexed by the scene that would await them at the lake. "What do you make of it, Cholo?" asked the younger of the two, a slender brown furred she-wolf with grey eyes, a rifle slung over her shoulder as she regarded the scene of destruction before them. Cholo, a grey furred wolf in his middle years of stocky build with a bandolier of grenades adorning his chest, let out a concerned murmur.

"Not sure, Gabriella… this wasn't done by any of our guys, I know that much," the older wolf stated with a frown as he surveyed the damage, approaching the downed Swatbots and started to sniff about. Gabriella for her part headed off to inspect the severed Swatbot head collecting dust several feet away, kneeling down and lifting it up to observe it curiously. "Could be another Freedom Fighter cell," Cholo offered up offhandedly.

"But, that's good right?" Gabriella asked as she turned to face Cholo. "I mean, another group with equipment to blow up a Hoverpod has to be a good thing, right?" she asked, cocking her head slightly.

"In theory yes; in practice it's complicated," Cholo grunted as he continued to sniff, raising a brow as he tried to recall the dispersed scent hovering around the lake. "For all we know this could've been the work of a bunch of raiders just getting their jollies at the thought of spitting in the Eggman's eye," he grunted, frown deepening as he familiarized himself with the scent. There was something very familiar about the scent being given off here amidst the typical smells of metal and oil that Swatbots gave off, and then it hit him. His eyes widened as memories flooded back to him from thirteen years ago, memories of explosions and killing and horrible furless giants bearing down on him with the fury of hell itself. "By the First Packs, I know this scent…" he stated in a hushed tone.

"Really?" Gabriella rose a brow, wondering what'd come over the other wolf. "If its familiar, why are you acting like you'd just been asked to toss your first born into the river?" she asked with a joking smile. Cholo's expression however had the opposite response to her attempt to lighten the mood, instead turning somber, his ears pinning down angrily as the memories continued to dominate his mind.

"Because I haven't smelled it since the Great War," Cholo growled out. "A human did this… I'm ashamed that it took me this long to recognize the scent, after my time in the field," he grunted as he rubbed the bridge between his eyes, Gabriella blinking in astonishment.

"Whoa, seriously? A human?" Gabriella had never seen a human in her life, having been a child during the War and far away from the fighting at that. "What would a human be doing out here though?" she asked, looking about somewhat nervously. She may have never seen a human in her life, but she'd heard the stories enough to be wary.

"Nothing good, that's for certain," Cholo grunted and turned around, starting to head back. "Come on kid, we gotta tell Lupe about this. The scent is too dispersed for me to get a trail out of it, and I don't see any tracks we could follow."

Gabriella dashed to his side, still holding the Swatbot head under her arm. "Well, whoever this guy is he did take out some Swatbots… that's gotta be a plus, doesn't it?" Gabriella pointed out, prompting a snort from the older wolf.

"When humans are involved it ain't ever a plus, trust me on this," he rolled his eyes as they headed for the Pashas they'd used to reach this spot. "And even if he's against Robotnik doesn't mean he's on our side. Hell, at least raiders are Mobian... this guy doesn't even have that much in common with us." He then raised a brow, looking down at the Swatbot head being held by his companion. "Uh… what's with the head?"

"Oh!" Gabriella blinked and then grinned as she held up the metallic object. "Well, it's not badly damaged, so I figured we might be able to get some good info from its memory storage and maybe learn a bit more about whoever knocked his block off," she chuckled.

"We already know it was a human," Cholo stated flatly as he mounted his Pasha, pulling upon the reigns to steady the beast. "What more do we need?"

"Well, yeah, but what if there's more than one?" Gabriella pointed out in defense of her plan as she followed suite and headed atop her own Pasha. "And we'd wanna know how well armed this guy is or the group is or whatever else he might have that we might need to know about!"

Cholo rubbed his furred chin, giving some thought to the idea. "Huh… good point," he admitted with a nod before snapping the reigns atop his pasha's head, giving a loud command cry to get it moving, and within moments Gabriella would be right by his side as they rode southward, heading for The Great Canyon and with it the remnant of the Wolf Pack Nation.

Their chief would be interested in what they had to show.

The next day Chris would fly with more caution then before, keeping around rock formations and straddling around the edges of whatever forest ranges he could come across. His caution was going to make the trip a bit longer than anticipated, but he didn't care, in the aftermath of yesterday's incident he wasn't going take any kinds of chance. He had already wrapped himself back into the comfort of paranoia that had ensured his survival back in Overland and he was not going to release himself from that smothering embrace until he could be absolutely certain that he was safe from being detected by Robotnik. So in short, it was going to be a while before he allowed himself to lower his defenses in any fashion. His attention was focused and intense, eyes practically straining in anticipation for the array to light and signify the approach of enemy vessels. It was around midday that an alert would flare up, but it wasn't the sort Chris had been worrying about. His heart nearly leapt out of his throat when the obnoxious beeping started up, but gradually his shock would die down enough for him to observe the source of the sound; the engine alert beacon was going off.

"Aaaw crap…" he groaned. The engine was having troubles, and sure enough he could start to hear rumbling noises emanating from said engines that were easily a cause for concern. He had to stop and inspect the beleaguered machine, but doing so out in the open like this would be tantamount to suicide. Lucky for him he was near the edge of a forest, and without giving it another thought he diverted his ship into the nearby woods, lowering it down to allow himself a bit more maneuverability amidst the thick greenery. Several minutes in he'd locate a clearing to land in, and would have simply landed and conducted his repairs as planned where it not for the curious thing that assailed his nose; the scent of something burning. At first he'd thought perhaps the distinctly burnt smell was coming from his troubled engines, but a bit of inspection managed to reveal that it was in fact the smell of burnt wood. While thankful that the smell wasn't coming from the engine (yet), he was concerned all the same. He could see no signs of the forest burning, nor had he seen any signs of smoke during the time he was outside of the forest. The smell was growing stronger, and cautiously Chris would hover on ahead, deeper into the woods as his curiosity drove him onward; and then he found the source of the mystery scent, and a horrid sight it was.

"Holy hell," he murmured, wide eyed as he absently continued onward into the scene before. At one point this place had been likely been a settlement of sorts, there were numerous huts and houses, and almost all of them were either burned or partially destroyed. Only a few scant buildings remained wholly intact, and even those few showed displayed damage in the form of bullet holes pock marking the walls. Chris knew this to have been a Mobian settlement; all the buildings were too small to have been made to house humans, and from his perspective the entire ruined village seemed more like a ravaged collection of playhouses. Not wanting to tempt fate any further he landed his craft down in what would roughly have been the town square, cautiously opening the door and stepping out with a plasma rifle in hand. He looked about the ruination that surrounded him, methodically gauging the more technical details concerning the damage. The holes in the building and other bits of damage had been done using lead based ammunition rounds, and judging by the state of the buildings the place had been set alight only two days ago and somehow managed to not catch flame either due to local intervention or rain. From the weaponry that had been used, it was unlikely that Robotnik was responsible for this; from his own experiences, he knew that the Eggman's machines had a tendency towards 'flashier', more high tech means of dispatching opposition, like plasma or laser. By process of elimination, the most likely candidates for this destruction had to be other Mobians.

He frowned darkly at the thought, recalling the rumors he'd heard back in the day of humans who'd forsaken their own kind and worked in their own interests in some vain hope of surviving Robotnik's onslaught by selling out other humans to him. The thought sickened him, but what surprised him was the dull feeling of rage that went through his heart at the implications held within the devastation of this village. This place had been a refuge, someplace meant to keep others safe from Robotnik, and in the end it wasn't Robotnik's drones that did the people of this village in but cowardly scavengers from their own ranks. The thought of a beacon of hope being so callously obliterated by the same people it would have tried to save… he felt himself shake slightly. He should not have been surprised… precious little that he'd heard about Mobians had left him with the impression that they were better than his own people in any way that mattered, but it still made him feel slightly ill. He decided he would take the time to explore; a few of the buildings were fairly intact at least, and he might be able to scrounge about and locate a few things worth taking. He headed for a medium sized hut, poking the ruined door open with the tip of his rifle before he maneuvered himself inside the dwelling. His head nearly touched the ceiling, and he remained on high alert as he walked through the small building despite the fact it possessed the same kind of dead silence the rest of the village did… the same kind that Genocide City possessed. He looked over the place warily; furniture had been knocked over and destroyed, possessions scattered about with careless abandon. This was definitely not the work of Swatbots, for Swatbots possessed no capacity for such cruel glee as whoever had done this. He took notice of a small hallway leading to another room, and crept down it to inspect it further.

The room he located contained a crib and a few scattered toys and picture books… with a heavy heart Chris realized this was a nursery. There had been an infant in here… closing his eyes he let out a sigh that held a weariness that would've been befitting of a man far older then himself. Shaking his head he turned around to head out, deciding he would not further intrude upon the remnants of what had been a family house. As he stepped back into the living room he heard a crack underneath his feet, the telltale sound of glass shattering and he jerked backward, looking down in an instant. He knelt down to inspect the object, reaching out and gently taking hold of it to lift up so that he could see it better… it was a framed photograph. Underneath the web-like network of cracks that his boot had produced in the glass, he could see the contents of the picture; two mobian mice, a male and female, the female holding a snoozing infant of the same species in her arms. The male was taller than the female and rather thin, wearing glasses and a button up collared shirt and vest, while the female was shorter and clad in a modest green dress. The two mice were happy and with more than a bit of pride in their features… Chris stared at the picture. They were both so happy and content and hopeful and…and human. Grandfather had taught Chris not to operate under the presumption of superiority with regards to Mobians, but Chris a lot of the times had difficulty viewing them in the precise same light as he might view a fellow human. But this picture… it spoke of so much, and served as a painful underscore of the tragedy that this entire village represented.

Chris stood up wordlessly and walked over to a windowsill, placing the picture upon it. The picture deserved better then to just lay discarded and forgotten upon the floor like a piece of trash. He took a moment to look at the hopeful scene immortalized in the photograph before heading out the door. He paused upon exiting the house, rubbing his face to combat the sudden feeling of weariness that came down over him. However it was at that precise moment from the corner of his eye that he saw it, another house, a still intact house with the door opened only ajar. But from his position he could see something; he could swear that he saw something standing behind the door. He lowered his hand and slowly looked over towards the house, modest in appearance though larger than the one he'd just left. Suddenly, the door slammed shut and Chris jerked back only a moment before he dashed off towards it, rifle in hand and ready for anything that might come his way. Now in full pragmatic survivor mode he continued onward as a grim thought ran through his head; whoever was in there might be as survivor, that didn't mean Chris would be safe from him.

He gently tested the door, turning the knob slowly and opening it up with as much care as he could muster, finding it was unlocked. Silently he headed into the house; his senses honed and as adrenaline saturated his every nerve and cell. He looked about cautious, keeping his gun up as he searched about for signs of the unknown individual who was currently inside the house with him, feeling his throat go dry. This was going to end in bloodshed, in his gut he knew this was going to end badly, just as he had figured when he first started his journey into the heartland of Mobiankind. He headed down the main hallway slowly, carefully, watching his every step with the precise methodology of a hunter stalking its prey. Making his way down to the end of the hall he edged his way into what appeared to be a living room, complete with a couch and a small table, and further along he could see a room that appeared to be a kitchen. Notably, everything thus far seemed to be less destroyed and ravaged then the last house had been, indicating that whoever lived here had bothered to keep the place clean or that the raiders responsible for the destruction outside simply hadn't been as thorough here as they'd been elsewhere.

It was then that he heard a sound that made his hair stand on end under his helmet and on the back of his neck, the sound of light footsteps rapidly running from one place to another and not too distant from his own position at that. He whirled around, bringing his rifle down to bear, finger inched around the trigger as he looked back down the hallway with a near spastic kind of precision. One of the doors to the other rooms, once stationary, was swaying back and forth very lightly… whoever was in this house had to be in there, they just had to be! Carefully he crept towards the door, wincing as his heavy boots thudded against the wooden floor underneath him and helped to signal his approach to whoever was in that room. He could only image how it might've sounded to the other guy, cornered and with a fully armed human heading for him… it probably sounded like a death sentence to him.

Chris' emergent sympathy died down when he realized that there was a strong chance that the guy might be armed; when he reached the door he put the tip of rifle inside and used it to swiftly force the door aside, leaping back in preparation for a hail of fire to come his way. When no such chain of events occurred he inched towards the edge of the door and pulled his knife from his boot to use the reflective surface as a mirror; inside it was clear that the room was a bathroom of sorts, and he could see the bath itself… with the shower curtains drawn over it. That's where he had to be. Sheathing his knife he took careful hold of his rifle and slowly entered the bathroom, creeping towards the small bath, readying himself for whatever might come next. Standing right before the bath, he cautiously reached out with his hand to grab the shower curtains and then swiftly drew them aside and took aim with his rifle.

His eyes widened and he nearly stepped back… of all the things he'd been preparing himself for, _this_ hadn't been one of them.


	5. Cream

**Disclaimer: ** As stated multiple times, I own virtually nothing in this story, it's all the ultimate property of SEGA, Archie, DIC and who knows who else. The story itself is mine however.

**A Difficult Road Traveled**

**Chapter Five: Cream**

Huddled inside the bathtub and shivering in pure terror was a little Mobian girl, a very young lop eared rabbit with cream colored fur clad a mussed up orange dress, her chestnut brown eyes wide with terror and staring right back at Chris as she whimpered softly. Chris was dumbstruck… he had imagined what his first encounter with Mobians would be like, and the majority of the scenarios involved hardened and bitter creatures who'd likely murder him before going on their way, and he had figured that even the most benevolent encounters would be wrought with suspicion and hostility. A shivering little girl, scared for her life and on the verge of tears though? This was something that had never crossed his mind even once.

It was then that he realized that he was still holding up his gun at her, and he was amazed that she was staring right back at him rather than actively cowering and waiting for him to end her then and there. Some hard, calloused part of his mind told him that the wisest course of action would be to just ignore her and leave the house and proceed with his goals as scheduled without paying any heed to her existence. Thankfully a far more human part of him triumphed. Chris released the trigger of the gun and switched the safety on, slowly setting it aside on the floor. He raised his hands in a passive gesture, making sure that his movements were not sudden.

For a moment Chris felt at a loss as to how to proceed. He had little idea of how to deal with small children, let alone Mobian children. By this point said Mobian child had ceased her whimpering, though her expression remained trained on him with the terrified anticipation of a mouse waiting to be devoured by a hungry serpent. With a good deal of uncertainty, he tried to calm her down. "I'm not going to hurt you," he stated softly, keeping his hands up and away from his gun, doing his best to look nonthreatening as possible; a considerable feat considering his full combat gear and the fact he quite literally towered over the poor girl.

"See? I'm not here to harm you or anyone else who might be here," he slowly began to back off. "I just landed here to repair my ship, I'm not here to cause trouble, understand me?" The rabbit's fear locked expression softened slightly but still she cringed away from him, gazing at him somewhat accusingly. Chris wondered if it would help if he removed his helmet and balaclava… though considering typical Mobian opinions with regard to how humans looked, he wasn't so sure. Deciding that showing he did indeed have a face would be better than nothing he removed his helm and slid his balaclava down to reveal himself wholly to her. "My name is Chris… what is yours?"

The little Mobian girl sniffed a bit before responding in a very small, very quiet sounding voice. "C-Cream," she stated, wiping the sides of her eyes even as she kept her gaze upon the human. Said human suppressed a chuckle, raising a brow at her answer.

"Cream, you say?" he responded. "That's an interesting name… is it because of your fur?"

Cream took a moment to regard him before answering after nearly a minute of silence. "Um, yes, it is…" she said almost shyly, her demeanor becoming slightly less tense, though she still gazed up at him with a fretful kind of suspicion, the kind given when someone wanted to trust the other but was afraid of what would happen if they did. "If... if you're not here to hurt me, then why are you here?"

"My hovership was having engine problems and I floated into the forest to avoid being detected by Robotnik," Chris explained, noting that Cream flinched at the mention of the name. "I could smell the burnt wood and went further in to investigate, and I landed here," he then took a look around. "What is this place? What happened?"

The young Mobian's expression saddened considerably. "It used to be Pinehaven Village… but three days ago, bad Mobians with guns came and wrecked everything. Mother hid me and Cheese away, and we stayed inside for the whole day and night. When we came out, everyone was gone, and the village was ruined…" she sniffed again, her expression one that Chris was all too familiar with. It was the same kind of look he'd seen on others his age back in Overland during the resistance days, when young children were doing their best to be strong in the face of tragedy and be 'grown up' even though it they weren't meant to be. His heart went out to the kit, and he let out a tired sigh.

"Mobians did this, huh?" It was not so much a question as much as it was a stated confirmation of his own suspicions, though mentally he did wonder who 'Cheese' could be. However, one question did gnaw at him a bit more then the identity of the dairy product named individual Cream had mentioned. "Why would they?"

"Everyone said that bad Mobians are called raiders and that they take others to give them to Robotnik so he can make them into robots instead of them," Cream explained sadly. "Mother said they didn't do it just because they were bad but because they were also scared, but they seemed pretty bad to me…" Chris managed to hide his astonishment at the revelation that the rumors concerning the strangely animal-like worker bots were in fact true, and instead decided to give her a small nod.

"Yeah, sometimes that's all it takes," he sighed out before raising a curious brow. "You mentioned someone called Cheese… who is Cheese?" _And who was cruel enough to name him that? _He thought to himself wryly. Given Cream's own name, he hoped that it wasn't an unfortunate little brother who had fallen victim to some warped Mobian naming convention that tied into puns.

"Oh!" Cream brightened up, looking embarrassed. "I suppose it's safe for him to be out now, since you're not a dangerous Overlander," she said softly, using the slang term Mobians frequently used for their human neighbors. She headed up to the edge of the tub and leaned over it, prompting Chris to back away slightly. "Cheese! It's alright now, you can come out now!" she called out, and Chris jerked around about at hearing a scuttling sound in the bottom cabinet of the sink. Frantic, excited and muffled yells could be heard before the door swung open, and Chris yelped and pressed himself against the nearest wall as a strange… blue _thing_ burst out from under the sink and into Cream's arms, cooing excitedly as it snuggled her.

Heartwarming as the scene was, Chris himself was too taken aback by the… thing in order to fully appreciate this, instead putting a hand over his chest as he breathed somewhat spastically, forcing himself to calm down. "What…what the heck is that?" he only narrowly avoided saying 'hell' in the girl's presence, but his shock at seeing the weird little blue creature would have justified such a slip. With its smooth body, stubby limbs, birdlike wings and tear-drop head the thing looked like an alien version of a Cherub. The red bowtie it wore only served to further illustrate just how absurd it was.

"This is Cheese!" Cream declared happily, hopping out of the tub and holding the aforementioned Cheese, who waved at Chris with a pleasant demeanor on its face. Chris smiled awkwardly and gave a half hearted wave right back at the… whatever the hell cheese was. "He's a Chao," Cream supplied helpfully, beaming proudly.

"Chao!" Cheese chirped out happily in confirmation. Chris felt his unease with the 'Chao' grow all the more. He pressed himself up against the wall all the tighter as Cheese hopped out of Cream's arms and floated up towards him, still uttering that one phrase as it curiously inspected him… harmless as it appeared Chris couldn't help but feel as if he was being sized up for a slaughter. He gave a nervous little chuckle even as he tried to shrink away from Cheese.

"Oh, so…so this is Cheese?" he gulped. "And ah, how did you exactly come across such a unique creature?" he asked as diplomatically as he could, the language he wanted to use concerning the thing in front of him not suitable for children (or most adults for that matter).

Cream seemed cheerfully oblivious to Chris' discomfort as she explained. "Oh! Well, when I was five years old a nice woodchuck named Mr. Chauncey, who was something called a 'globe trotter', came to stay in Pinehaven for a short time. Mother let him stay in our guest room and while he was with us I saw that he had an odd looking egg with him. He said he'd found it in a temple somewhere in Cat Country, and that it belonged to a creature called a Chao," she explained blithely as Cheese continued to float about Chris, smiling pleasantly as ever and further unnerving the distraught human. "Well, one day I noticed the egg was cracked, and when I went to take a closer look it hatched right in front of me, and out came Cheese! Because he saw me, Mister Chauncey allowed me to keep him, and we've been together ever since," she beamed.

"How… wonderful," Chris remarked dryly, giving a somewhat disturbed look to Cheese as he flew back to Cream. "How can you tell if it's male?" he asked somewhat cautiously, suddenly regretting the question; he wasn't sure he really WANTED to know how a little girl came to the conclusion that a bow-tie wearing abomination was in fact a guy or not, or if it even HAD a gender.

"Cheese told me," Cream explained with a bright smile. Chris' face fell flat at the revelation.

"Cheese told you?" he repeated, not at all believing her. She appeared to be eight or nine years old, at that point where saying things without the ability to talk could in fact communicate with her went from 'endearing' to 'vaguely disturbing'.

"Yes!" she nodded vigorously, and to Chris' shock Cheese was nodding as if in agreement, chirping a few times in that self descriptive sound that he made. "Cheese speaks to me, but no one else seems to understand him," she sighed, looking to Cheese almost sadly. Cheese himself seemed to be a bit put under by the fact, but brightened up immediately and once more began chattering in a language that only Cream could understand apparently. "But he says you shouldn't feel bad for him, because he has fun with people all the same."

Chris was beginning to think that perhaps Cream was, in fact, NOT making this up. The expressions on Cheese's face were certainly well beyond animal mimicry, so he was willing to bet that perhaps Cream was correct and Cheese was in fact an intelligent creature that for whatever reason was only understood by Cream. With a sigh, Chris slowly got to his feet. "Bully for Cheese," he drawled out, taking his rifle back in hand even as he slung it over his shoulder, then picking up his helmet and tucking it under his arm before starting to head out of the bathroom. Cream, with Cheese floating right beside her, followed after him curiously.

"Where are you going?" she asked as she caught up with him, managing to stay by his side thanks to her brisk steps despite the longer distance covered by Chris' comparatively lengthy legs.

"To my ship," he explained, looking down at her as he moved. "The engines were malfunctioning and they need repair, otherwise I'm going to have to carry out the rest of my mission on foot… and I've come too far to let a little engine trouble stop me," he glowered darkly as he looked ahead, exiting the house and making his way back toward The Deliverance.

"Is that why you came here? Because of this mission?" Cream asked as she continued to stay by his side, eyes alight with curiosity. "Is it a secret mission?"

Chris blinked and looked down at her, then gave a small smile. "I wouldn't call it a secret… I flew in order to take the fight against Robotnik in his own territory," he explained. "Do what I can to make sure he has some very bad days to remember me by."

She cocked her head and looked up at him quizzically, an action mimicked by Cheese. "You came here all by yourself, all the way from Overland? You must be very brave!" she beamed, Cheese concurring with an enthusiastic 'Chao!', while Chris suppressed the urge to cringe and simply let out a heavy sigh as he stopped before his ship.

"I wouldn't call crossing the Forbidden Zone brave so much as I would call it very desperate and foolish," he murmured as he set his helmet down and began to unlatch the protective paneling that sealed the hover engine away from the world. As Cream looked on with curiosity alight in her brown eyes, Cheese decided he wanted a closer look at the contraption and quizzically floated up to inspect it as Chris worked on it, only to be the recipient of a rude surprise moments later. The moment Chris removed the panel a billowing cloud of smoke poured out hitting both Chris and Cheese full on in the face. Chris hacked and coughed loudly as he waved his hand around in an attempt to disperse the smoke while a similarly sooty Cheese coughed up a storm, flying into Cream's arm as she patted his back in an effort to help him.

"Damn it," he grunted as he got the smoke out of his face, momentarily forgetting about Cream. Taking a look at the engine, he let out an annoyed groan as he took in the damage; bits and pieces of the engine where fried and dislodged, and he knew this had been because of everything the ship had endured during the trek through the Forbidden Zone. He'd hoped that the shielding he'd installed would be enough to withstand the harsh weather conditions, but apparently all they'd been good for was prolonging the inevitable.

Wiping Cheese's face clean of the soot, the Cream held the Chao close to her as she gazed up at Chris curiously. "What's wrong, Mr. Christopher?"

"Ah, I thought I built this thing better than I did, but it would seem this is not the case," Chris sighed as he looked over the damage and then at her. "I could be stuck here for a few days," he elaborated, raising a brow at her rather formal tone.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear that," Cream apologized, bowing her head slightly before looking up at him brightly, still holding Cheese to her. "But, you built this yourself?"

"Well, not from scratch," Chris chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his head. "I used pieces I could get from other vehicles, I needed to make it fast enough to get me here relatively quick and small enough to evade major detection by Robotnik," he almost continued to blather on about the technical details, but one look at mystified look on the young girl's face told him what should have been obvious regarding how much she knew about or cared for regarding machinery. Rubbing the back of his head he sighed. "At any rate, it's not as good as I thought it would be…"

"If it got you here as good as it did, then it seems like it was already pretty good," Cream pointed out, optimism written on her features. Such blithe happiness and confidence in his work coming from a stranger, even a Mobian child, was heartening to Chris and he let out a small chuckle.

"You may have a point there, Cream," he nodded before heading for the still opened door of his ship. "Alright, may as well begin," he began to rummage about looking for one of the repair kits he'd brought, only to pause when a loud rumbling sound emanated from his stomach. He paused, blushing a bit in embarrassment at his stomach's proclaimed desire for food. Cream for her part put a hand to her mouth to stifle her giggles, while Cheese didn't even bother with that much and let out a bevy of bell like laughs at the human's expense. "I ah, stand corrected," Chris chuckled. "First lunch; then repairs," he stated with a sort of sheepish finality before continuing his search, stepping out with a small tin foil container in hand.

Cream raised a brow. "What is that, Mr. Christopher?" she asked curiously, watching as Chris peeled it open to reveal what looked like a very unappetizing kind of gruel.

"It's a Meal, Ready to Eat," Chris explained to her as he pulled out a plastic spoon that the MRE had come with. "Its Overland military food, full of all the essential vitamins and proteins," he elaborated. Cream put a hand to her hip, her expression a dubious at best.

"I don't think that stuff really is food, Mr. Christopher," she stated with as much politeness as could be allowed. "It smells like wet cardboard. How can it be good for you?"

"Haven't you ever heard that the food that's best for you often seems horrible?" Chris quipped, though as he did that Cheese took the opportunity to float on up and take a whiff of the MRE… he immediately backed away, waving a nubby looking arm in front of his face to dispel the scent and looking up at Chris as if to proclaim that the human was out of his mind.

The rabbit girl shook her head. "That stuff is icky, Mr. Christopher," she insisted, and then smiled. "I know where we can get much better food," she offered.

"That's very kind of you Cream, but I'm good with what I got," Chris scoffed as he took a scoop of the meal and promptly devoured it… she was right, not only did it smell like wet cardboard, but it tasted it too. And he was fairly certain this was meant to be a beef flavored one. Chris took a few more half hearted bites before sighing and looking down to the young rabbit. "So…" he began with a forced degree of casually. "You say YOU know where to get food?"

Cream's expression betrayed a rather smug sense of satisfaction at having been proven right, giving an impish giggle as she waved him over. "Come on!" she called out as she began to head for the forest, Cheese floating on after her. Chris set aside his odious meal and followed on after her, gazing around cautiously as they began to enter the forest and feeling decidedly ill at ease amidst the trees. He was after all a city boy through and through, and this was a new experience for him. Still he kept close to Cream, until she came across a pair of bushes, one containing red berries and the other containing purple ones. "These are elberry bushes, and the red ones are really tasty," she informed him with a grin, picking at the bush already and soon collecting a handful of the berries. "But don't eat the purple ones, ever," Cream stated direly as she looked up to Chris. "They make you sick if you do."

"I'll make a note of it," Chris murmured as he picked a berry and examined it. He'd never heard of elberries growing in Overland and felt a bit hesitant to give it a try; for all he knew it was perfectly fine for Mobians and utterly toxic to humans. Cautiously he plopped it in his mouth and began to chew experimentally. Soon after his eyes lit up as he took in the rather delectable flavor. "Huh, well I'll be," he stated after swallowing the morsel. "These… are actually pretty good," he admitted and began to pick at the bush along with Cream and Cheese, looking down at her quizzically. "How did you learn about these?"

"My mother taught me," she responded brightly. "She taught me all kinds of things about the forest and how to make wild berries into pies and other things like that," she explained, her smile cracking and faltering for a moment before she resumed eating the berries. Chris paused at that, wondering if he should say something before deciding to simply let it be for now and resume his meal. Several minutes and several handfuls of berries later, Chris was full, and he smiled down to Cream.

"Thanks for the grub, Cream, it was delicious," he nodded to her, and Cream nodded back with a smile.

"You're welcome, Mr. Christopher," she giggled. Chris rubbed the back of his head and looked down at her almost in embarrassment.

"You know, you don't have to call me 'Mister Christopher' all the time… you can just call me Chris," he chuckled. Now it was Cream's turn to look embarrassed, and she rubbed the back of her own furred head with a degree of sheepishness.

"Oh, I'm sorry Mister Chri- um, Chris. Mother always said that I had to address people as 'Mister' or 'Miss', because that was the polite thing to do," Cream explained. "Mother was from an important family in Southern Mobos, and she always said that manners were very important when she grew up and that just because that bad man in Robotropolis was making things hard for everyone didn't mean I couldn't be polite," by now she'd put her hands behind her back and was bashfully looking down at the ground as she circled her foot about in the dirt, Cheese hovering right by her side.

Chris was rather astonished by how well behaved and decent this girl was. His memories of other eight year olds did not paint a positive picture for children of that age, but perhaps that was simply human children? Maybe Mobian children were simply calmer by nature? At any rate he found himself somewhat impressed, and he smiled down at her. "Pretty good advice, I'd say," he informed her. "And for the sake of politeness I'll give you my full name; my name is Christopher Thorndyke, of the House of Galileo," he announced with a bit of pride… shattered as his family line was, he still found a bit of dignity in proclaiming the name of his house, useless as it was.

"Oooh, that sounds like a noble name!" Cream's eyes lit up brightly. "Was your family noble?"

Chris shook his head lightly and chuckled before turning to begin heading back for his ship, waving Cream and Cheese over to follow him, which they did in an instant. "My House was an old one, and while we had a lot of talented individuals in our lineage, we weren't nobles," Chris explained to her as they walked through the woods. "All human families have a 'House' named after their earliest known ancestor. Some have histories that go back only a few hundred years, while others have ones so ancient they go back to the time Overland was founded… my family's House began between those times," he chuckled. "The older your House the more prestige is attached to it."

"That must be very exciting to come from a bloodline so old," Cream cheerfully replied. "My last name is Rabeau, and it goes back to the time of the Southern Baronies, long ago," she elaborated for him, by now having reached the edge of Pinehaven Village. "Mother said I should always be proud of my name even if there isn't much to it then history, because you should always be able to find a bit of pride in where you come from."

"You are a remarkably intelligent little girl," Chris noted with some bemusement, and it was true. She was better spoken and more insightful than a great many adults that Chris had known. Again he had to wonder if this was because she was Mobian, but some instinctual part of him found it difficult to believe that all Mobian children could be anything like Cream. He did take note that throughout this, there had been no mention of a father in her life, but he decided that he would not try and elaborate on this bit of data.

Cream blushed at the compliment, looking down at the ground and kicking it half heartedly. "Thank you, Chris," she said softly, while Cheese let out a chorus of 'Chao' in agreement with Chris' assessment of his lifelong friend.

"You are most welcome, Cream," Chris chuckled before turning around and heading back for the village, Cream dashing to catch up with him and walk by his side as he headed back with Cheese hovering behind as always, smiling along with Cream at having made a new friend.


	6. Stories at Night

**Disclaimer: ** As I have stated many times before I own nothing in this story save for the story itself and a few unspeakably minor characters who've not appeared anywhere else in any Sonic related medium, who don't even appear in this chapter at that. Other than those two aberrations, everything is the property of Sega and Sega alone. The Story "The Selfish Giant" is also the property of Oscar Wilde, even an abridged version with certain liberties taken with it.

**Note: **As college is beginning to crack down on me as the beginnings of finals creep up, future chapters may come at a slower rate, just to warn anyone who has been following this up to this point.

**A Difficult Road Traveled**

**Chapter Six: Stories at Night**

Upon returning to the village Chris would head back to The Deliverance and begin repairs. During that time he would carry on conversations with Cream about a wide variety of subjects; things about humans, things about Mobians, things about the sky and the moon and the stars, and whatever other topics they could think up. Chris would find that his earlier assessment about her intelligence was not an inaccurate one; throughout their talks, she displayed a remarkably grown up sense of herself and the world, though still tinged with that childish element of innocence. Chris found himself enjoying their discussions even as he remained mostly focused on repairing the engine of his ship, realizing how much he'd missed being able to simply talk to someone. He was swiftly discovering that the fact that that 'someone' being a Mobian, and a child at that, was a largely irrelevant detail.

Eventually night would be upon them, and Chris would find his need to sleep outweighing his drive to keep working on the ship. Closing it up for the night, he was relieved to find that Cream was willing to let him use the guest room of her abandoned house… even IF it was a size too small for him. It beat sleeping in the cockpit of The Deliverance for another night that much was for certain. The room itself was nice in a quaint sort of way, much like the rest of the house was, and thankfully was the least damaged part of the dwelling. There wasn't much to be said about decoration, save for a small landscape painting of a beach and a doily covering a wood carved dresser, but Chris scarcely minded such small details; he was just happy to have a bed that was soft.

He'd removed his armor and hidden his rifle in the closet (despite keeping the safety and despite telling Cream flat out not to go anywhere near it, he didn't want to take ANY kind of risk involving her and the gun), as well as removed a few other odd bits and pieces of his uniform leaving him in his pants, boots and undershirt as he prepared himself for bed. Just as he readied himself to lay down upon the bed (mostly to figure out how he was going to sleep on it comfortably), he heard the door squeaking as it was slowly opened. Out of instinct he rolled out of the way and reached for his knife, only to pause upon seeing Cream standing in the doorway with Cheese in her arms. He blinked, hand moving away from the sheathed blade in his boot, and stood up as he gazed down at her. "Oh, Cream, it's you. What can I do for you?"

"Um, well," Cream began, looking up at him hesitantly. "I was wondering if you could do something for me."

The human raised a brow down at the rabbit and the chao. "Probably… what do you want from me?"

"Well," Cream began to fidget a little, her hands reaching each other and her thumbs twiddling even as Cheese remained nestled in her arms and looking up at Chris almost appraisingly. "I…I was wondering if you'd maybe… read me a story?" she said the last part so quietly it was practically a whisper. Chris gazed down at her, flummoxed by the request. Him? Read a story to her? He'd never done such a thing before! Mistaking his shock for a refusal, Cream looked down and began to back away. "Of course you don't have to if you don't want to… I understand it's kind of silly anyway…" she stated in a disheartened tone, and that managed to snap Chris out of his semi-dazed state and give her a real response.

"Wait!" he called out, raising his hand as if it had the power to stop her in her tracks… which she did, even though the hand held no such ability to make her do so. She looked up at him quizzically as he walked toward her and smiled down. "I think I can do that. I've got to warn you though, I don't think I can really tell a story all that well, but I can try at least." Cream gave him a smile that could've given off a glow comparable to a city's worth of lights, and rushed over to hug him around his shins, Cheese flying out of her arms and chirping happily at seeing his friend's joy.

"Thank you, Chris," she said softly as she released him, then smiled up to him and waved him along as she headed out of the guest room. "Come on! My room is right this way." One small trip later and Chris found himself in the aforementioned room; it was a cozy little room, filled with hand crafted furniture and a well stuffed bed with a smaller one beside it, and given how things were proportioned it almost looked like a doll's playhouse. There was a small desk, a bookcase with several little books in it, and a few stuffed animals here and there. And up on the wall was a lovely framed photograph of an older Mobian Rabbit, Cream's mother Vanilla. He'd seen several other pictures of her in the house, though no photos of Cream's father anywhere in sight. Once more he had contemplated the implications, but decided it would be best to simply put it aside and not approach the subject with her. Upon entering it Cream headed for the book case and picked out a book for Chris to read, handing it to him with a smile on her face. "Here, read this one please," she asked politely, heading into bed as soon as Chris took a hold of it. Nestled in bed with Cheese by her side, she looked up at Chris expectantly.

"Jack and the Beanstalk…?" Chris asked out loud, looking over the leather bound little book before looking over to her with a raised brow. Mobians told their children this one as well? It truly was a small world, it would seem. He gave a small shrug and headed over to her side, deciding to sit on the floor with his legs crossed (the only chair available would've snapped under his weight). Opening the book and thumbing through the pages, he found the beginning of the small picture book. Putting a hand to his mouth as he cleared his throat, he began by uttering the timeless beginning of a thousand tales. "Once upon a time, long, long ago…"

And so he told a story that even he knew off by heart to the young girl, the rabbit and the chao seeming enraptured by the story even though they'd likely heard it a thousand times by this point. The story proceeded as Chris had expected it would, with Jack selling a prize cow off to a mysterious traveler in exchange for magic, Jack planting the beans and the beanstalk growing because of it, finding the Giant and his treasure, stealing from the wicked giant and killing him when it came after him… it was strictly formula. What did interest Chris was how the characters species were changed; Jack and his mother were jackrabbits fittingly enough, the traveler was a raven, and the giant… was a human, and an ugly one at that Chris noted wryly. _Lovely bit of propaganda, _he thought to himself sardonically even as he finished up the story. "And so Jack and his mother became rich, and they lived happily ever after… the end," he concluded, closing up the book and looking to Cream, who beamed thankfully.

"Thank you Chris, you told it very nicely," she nodded to him, Cheese once more voicing his own approval in his own telltale way. Chris blushed and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Heh, thanks… never told a story before, you know," Chris admitted, pleased that she liked it even though he wondered if she was just being polite. Cream's look of astonishment seemed to indicate against that theory of his, those big eyes of hers gazing up at him incredulously.

"Really? But you're so good!" she gushed, smiling gratefully. "Thanks again, Chris. I know I'm a bit old to have stories read to me, but I can't help it, I like them too much and it's always so interesting to see how others do it," she giggled. "When mother reads the stories she makes up all kinds of voices for the characters and… and…" her expression now softened into a sad one and her ears drooped down. Cheese developed a concerned look on his face and waddled over to her to place a stubby hand at her shoulder. "I'll probably never get a chance to hear her tell them again, will I?" she asked him with a disturbingly fatalistic tone.

That tone made Chris wince, it sounded unnatural coming from a child. "You don't know that for certain," he told her diplomatically, a concerned look to his face. "She was captured, you don't know for sure what's happened to her, do you?"

"The raiders, they capture Mobians so Robotnik will turn them into robots instead of them," Cream said sadly, sniffling a bit. "And even then, they say raiders do bad things to people they capture, and mommy might be… might be…" she began to tear up. Chris frowned and leaned over to her, carefully wrapping his arms around her in a hug. The gesture broke whatever strength Cream had left, and she returned the hug, sobbing quietly into his shoulder while Cheese hugged her from behind and nuzzled her gently, a sad expression on his little blue face. Chris patted her back, letting her have her cry, and when it died down he spoke once more.

"Don't think things like that," he said solemnly. "Things might be bad, but until you see what's happened for yourself you can never really know, and you can't lose hope because of that," Chris informed her gently as he held her close. He was astounded by how certain he'd sounded, given that he'd undertaken this mission because he himself had lost all traces of hope. But perhaps he was right on some level; he'd seen everyone he loved picked off one by one right before his eyes, whereas Cream's mother had been captured. The prospects of her fate where grim, but not necessarily written in stone. Still, he could not wholly sugar-coat things for Cream. "And even if the worst has happened," he continued softly. "Even it seems like nothing is ever going to get better, you still have to be strong… I know, it's the scariest thing in the world, I've been there before and I know that no matter what your mother would want you to keep moving forward in life." As Chris spoke his mind flashed by to over a decade ago, when his own grandfather had given him a similar speech once the reality of their situation crashed down on Chris and he'd begun to despair.

Cream sniffled and wiped at her eyes, then swallowed heavily. "O-okay," she muttered softly. "I'll… I'll be strong. For mother I'll be strong, and for Cheese," she stated with a determination that stood at a stark contrast to her soft features, her head turning to smile at Cheese sadly. "He needs me as much as I need my mother, and it wouldn't be fair to him if I was sad all the time, would it?" The aforementioned Chao's eyes widened and watered at the admission, and he leapt into her arms to give a tight hug, one that was happily returned by the Mobian girl. Chris let out a small smile, happy to have given Cream something to hold on to during such a difficult time. He wondered if this was how his grandfather had felt when he'd had to explain just how tough and harsh life was going to be nowadays, and had to wonder if gramps had had as many doubts about how true his words were as Chris did now. Cream looked up to him with a small, grateful smile. "I'm glad to have met you first…"

"What do you mean?" Chris asked, a bit confused by the statement. Cream sighed, her gaze going down slightly as she began to elaborate.

"I've never met a human before, and all the stories I'd heard about humans made them out to be big, scary monsters who did mean things for no reason," Cream stated, actually sounding a bit ashamed for those facts. "Most people in the village who brought them up said they hated Mobians for no reason and would kill one as soon as look at them… I wondered if it was really possible for a whole people to be bad for no reason, because sometimes they said things a lot like that about reptiles and insects and all the ones I knew weren't bad…" she looked up at him with a soft smile. "I never thought I'd actually meet a human… and I'm happy to know what they said wasn't true."

Chris blinked down at her, once more astounded by her maturity despite her tender age. Chris had been forced into adulthood early on by circumstances beyond his control, but this girl had been through much less and flowed far more easily into the roles of an adult then many. He smiled and gave a small, heartfelt chuckle at her words. "Well, isn't that a coincidence? I never expected to meet a Mobian, at least not in a friendly way," he confessed to her. Cream cocked her head, looking up at him in confusion, Cheese mimicking the movement and the expression as he often did.

"Really?" she asked, and Chris nodded in return.

"Yeah… Mobians and humans have hated each other for a long time you know, and after the War and Robotnik, I doubted that fact changed any," he sighed out. "Just like you, when I was growing up a lot of the grown-ups said things about Mobians that weren't exactly flattering… that they were small, weak, stupid, savage. Lucky for me my grandfather said that they were just different and it didn't make what was said about them right, but still… of all the things I expected to happen if and when I ever met a Mobian, I didn't expect anything like you," he smiled down to her.

Cream smile for a moment at the compliment, before an inquisitive look came about her young face, "Chris… why do Mobians and humans hate each other?" She asked, the nature of the question making the innocence behind it all the more pronounced. Chris winced at the unexpected inquiry, rubbing the side of his head as he tried to figure out how to answer this in a way she would understand. There was just so much bad blood started over so many reasons, where could he even begin?

"Good question," Chris sighed out tiredly, carefully thinking over his words before he continued on. "It's complicated, and I can't say I have a really concrete answer as to 'why', but like a lot of things I can give it my best shot," he took in a breath and let it out before proceeding. "Alright, here it goes; a lot of it has to do with the fact that at some level, humans are different from Mobians, ALL Mobians. While we're not as mean and nasty as a lot of Mobians like to say, we are as a species pretty aggressive about a lot of things; we fought each other in the past a lot more then Mobians did, over a lot of stuff that wasn't really worth it. It doesn't help that we're often a lot bigger then you, and that we apparently look strange," he gave a small chuckle at the fact, still finding it hard to believe that he could ever be regarded as unnerving.

"And as for us… there are always been a lot more Mobians than humans and it scares us that there are so few of us by comparison. A lot of humans also resent the way many Mobians act like we somehow don't belong on the world or that we contribute nothing, despite the fact our technology is more advanced and we have greater equality amongst eachother," he looked down to her. "Did you know that in Overland, ladies can be leaders just as much as the men?" Cream's eyes widened and she shook her head; with the exception of the mostly independent Wolf Nation, women could not expect to attain particularly high positions in the Kingdom of Acorn. It wasn't their place, or so many said. "Well, it's true. And we really, really didn't like the way that King Acorn and his ancestors declared themselves the rulers of all Mobius, even though we'd had our own kingdoms and nations long before there ever was an Acorn Kingdom," he then sighed, scratching his head as Cheese and Cream both looked up at him expectantly. "In short, Mobians and humans don't get along for a lot of reasons, and those reasons are more complicated then I can explain..."

"Oh," Cream replied, looking almost disappointed. "So… humans and Mobians are always just going to be mean with each other, because that's how it's always been, and we're just too different to be friends?"

"Not exactly," Chris stated. "Humans CAN get along with Mobians, if given the chance. Back when they were still around, humans were good friends with the Dingo Confederacy; we traded technology, cultural ideas… it was a pretty peaceful relationship, while it lasted," Chris explained with a small smile. "And its proof that we can get along with others… just that it might take a while for it to happen," he then sighed. "Especially after everything that's happened," he murmured. He'd not given much thought to any of these subjects before, and now thanks to Cream he was actually taking an in depth look into a subject that'd been largely irrelevant in his life… the times, how they change.

Cream brightened a bit at the information about the Dingo. "That's good to know," she informed his softly as she nestled herself against her pillow, Cheese by her side. "I don't think humans and Mobians are as different as you and everyone else say… not really." She confessed, remaining silent for a few moments before getting that questioning look on her face once more. "Chris?"

"Yeah?"

"You came here to fight Robotnik," she began a bit slowly, a degree of nervousness creeping into her voice. "So why'd you come here on your own? What about the rest of your people?"

Chris stared at her for nearly a solid minute, resisting the urge to wince as he steeled himself against the emotions welling up in him at the thought of having to answer that question. "They… were unable to make it," he stated lamely, unable to hide the very palpable sadness in his eyes. Cream stared back at him for a moment before looking away, regretting that she'd brought the question up in the first place.

"Okay… I was just curious," she murmured as she snuggled against Cheese. For a few moments an uncomfortable silence hung in the air, before Cream decided to speak up once more. "Chris?" she uttered quietly again, looking over to him.

"Yes, Cream?" he sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly.

"Would you mind telling me another story?" She asked suddenly, something that took Chris completely off guard.

"Oh, uh… well, sure," he shrugged, turning his head back to the book-case. "Which one would you like me to read?" he asked as he looked over the selection of storybooks behind him, seeing a few more familiar titles amongst the pile. Cream however shook her head and gave him a little smile.

"I don't want you to read me a story, I'd like you to tell me a story," she giggled softly as she beamed up at him. "A human story," she elaborated, and Chris stared at her in astonishment. Truly, this girl was too clever by half. He would have argued that he already had read her a human story, but that one was so old that for all he knew it very well could have been penned by a Mobian.

"Cripes," he murmured, rubbing his head. "I'm not sure if I know any stories that are specifically human… give me a moment to think," he put a hand to his chin and searched back into his mind, sifting through his memories as he tried to recall stories that his mother had told him, ones that he'd never read in a book as a child. It took nearly a minute, but he suddenly smiled and snapped his fingers. "Alright, I think I might have one for you," he smiled to her. Cream watched with rapt attention along with her Chao as Chris recalled the name of the story. "Tell me, have you ever heard 'The Selfish Giant'?" he asked her, privately hoping that she had indeed not heard that one.

"No, I haven't," Cream shook her head, looking to him curiously. "Please, tell it to me."

"Alright then. Here's hoping I can still remember this one," Chris chuckled and then cleared his throat, entering storyteller mode. "Once upon a time, long, long ago in a far away land there was a giant, who lived in a large mansion with a beautiful garden," he began, checking for a moment to make sure that he had her attention. Seeing that she was indeed still following his every word, he continued on. "This garden was the largest and loveliest in all the land, which was quite unfortunate because The Giant was perhaps the most miserable and ornery Giant who had ever lived. He never had any visitors, and chased away anyone who'd spend too much time looking at his garden, and he certainly never allowed the local children to play in it. One day the Giant left to visit his friend the Ogre, and the children were finally free to play in the Giant's beautiful garden. For a long while the children played happily in the garden now that the Giant was no longer around to chase them away, but then one day the Giant returned to find them in his garden, laughing and playing without a care in the world. The Giant, outraged by this, chased them all away and afterwards built a great wall to surround his garden and his house so that he would never have to deal with intruders ever again."

He noted with some amusement that Cream was now fully enraptured with the tale, leaning forward even, Cheese by her side and every bit as fascinated by the tale. Perhaps he was better at this story telling thing then he'd first thought. "However, for coldhearted deed, he would pay a price; within his home the season became winter, and always winter, every day and every night. For the many months he would endure relentless and unending cold, miserable and alone in the icy prison that he had built for himself. Then, one day, the song of a morning bird woke him up and he found to his shock that spring had returned! But how could this possibly be? Looking out the window of his bedroom he saw the children playing in his garden once more; they'd managed to creep in through a crack in the otherwise sturdy wall he'd built. This time taking a moment to watch them play, for the first time The Giant realized just how much joy his beautiful garden gave to those children, as well as realizing that he'd been wrong to treat them so harshly for trying to play in it. Deciding that he would smash down the wall, he headed out to do the deed, the children fleeing and hiding thinking he'd come out to punish them. The giant then noticed that in a lonely corner of his garden, winter still was still going strong; a small child, alone and apart from the other children, was crying to himself furiously as he tried his hardest to climb a tree, but to no avail. His crying was so loud he wasn't able to hear The Giant as he approached him."

"The Giant felt sorry for the little boy, and reached down to help him up into the tree, much to the little boy's surprise. The little boy thanked The Giant, kissing him on the nose in gratitude, and emboldened by this the Giant stomped off to the wall and with a slam of his fist knocked it over, declaring that now the garden was for the children. His selfless acts dispelled the last piece of winter haunting his garden, and the children all excitedly resumed playing in the garden. For the first time in a long while the Giant was happy, watching all the children play, but was also sad to see that he could not find the child he had helped. Many years went by, and the Giant was continued to allow children to come and play inside his garden, and then one day when the Giant was old and grey he woke up to spot a beautiful tree in the corner of his garden with white blossoms, golden branches and silver fruit hanging from it. And to his great joy, he saw the boy he'd helped so many years ago under the tree. Racing out of his home he approached the boy, asking him where he had been and if he needed help getting up, kneeling down before him as he spoke. The boy smiled and shook his head, and said to him that he had never left, and that because the Giant had let him play in his garden, he would take the Giant to see his own garden today. Taking the giant by the hand he led him away, taking the Giant to see his garden as he had said, and his garden was paradise. The next day the children came to play in his garden like they did, and would find the Giant lay dead under a tree, his body covered in white blossoms and a smile upon his ancient face," Chris let out a serene sounding sigh as he smiled down to Cream, who by now had a bit of moisture at the edge of her eyes, and he concluded his tale with a well timed "The End".

"That was beautiful, Chris," Cream sniffled as she rubbed at the corner of eyes to wipe away the tears before they could form, though her expression was somewhat forlorn. "It's just a shame it had such a sad ending…" Cheese nodded his head in agreement, letting out a few somber 'Chao' cries to signify his own feelings on the matter.

Chris allowed himself a small laugh as he experienced a distinct sense of Déjà vu. "You know, I said the exact same thing to my own mom when she told me the story for the first time," he chuckled down at her. "She always said that while it is sad, you shouldn't feel too sad, because even though the giant died he made many children happy in his life, and because he learnt the error of his ways and made those children happy he was rewarded by getting to spend the rest of eternity in the greatest garden of all," Chris shrugged. "I didn't really get it until years later, but I admit I was kind of dim as a kid."

"I suppose you're right," Cream smiled before let out a loud yawn. "Oh my, excuse me," she murmured tiredly as she began to lay back into her pillow, pulling her covers over her while Cheese nestled himself next to her, his eyes shut and breathing entering the rhythm of sleep already. "I think it's time for me to get some sleep… good night, Chris, and thank you for the wonderful story," she sighed out contently as she closed her eyes. Chris smiled back at her, reaching out in the bedroom room to place his hand on the lamplight's switch.

"Good night, Cream. Sweet dreams," he said softly as he turned the switch, darkness enveloping the room like a velvet cover. Chris would head on out of her room, closing the door behind him and switching off the lights as he headed for the guest room for his own evening slumber. After several tries he managed to find a position on the undersized bed that he found comfortable (namely taking the mattress off of the bed and placing it on the floor so that he could lay with his limbs more freely splayed out), and was left now with only himself and his thoughts as he tried to get to sleep. Today had been memorable to say the least; he'd done many things he never thought he'd ever have done in his entire life, and was still reeling from it all in his own little way. He'd met his first Mobian, and it turned out that she was a sweet little girl who could have done a very good job at being an adult, she was so mature. There was no bloodshed, no fear, and no uncertainty in their knowledge of each other's existence, there was only the mutual need for companionship and the desire to better understand the other.

Chris felt… happy. For the first time in a long while he was truly happy, and it was thanks to Cream and even that freakish companion of hers. How had it even happened, he wondered? How had he allowed himself to regard her as a friend and companion, in the face of everything he'd suffered thanks to her people? Perhaps none of it mattered really… perhaps when it came down to it, it really didn't matter what she was, just who she was. Chris could content himself with that answer, but in this line of thinking something a tad more worrisome dawned upon him; what to do about her? He still had a mission to complete, but he couldn't just leave the girl here on her own, and he certainly couldn't take her with him in his quest against the Eggman. Perhaps there were other communities like this one, someplace safe he could leave her. Or maybe… maybe he could stay? Maybe he could just stay here, watch over her, and let whatever resistance here on Mobos deal with Robotnik? But no, he could not do that… he'd made a vow on the graves of his murdered race that he would do everything he could to end Robotnik once and for all.

Eventually his turmoil dissipated into nothingness, and he drifted off into sleep. In spite of the inner doubts he'd experienced towards the end of his conscious state, he found there were no nightmares for him tonight, no disturbing visions or memories to torture him; there were only dreams. Dreams of open plains and blue skies and green forests, and an unspoiled grandeur he'd never really known in his life.

His dreams would last him until the morning, and for once he would be reluctant to wake up.


	7. No One Gets Left Behind

**Disclaimer: **Hoo man, college is grinding me down something awful as we enter the endgame, but no worries to you few who read this tripe, here is another chapter, a longer length one even. Once more, I own nothing here whatsoever save the story itself; all stuff here is the property of SEGA and is done for nonprofit entertainment, no infringement is intended by any of this.

**A Difficult Road Traveled**

**Chapter Seven: No One Gets Left Behind**

Thanks to his surprisingly contented and uninterrupted night of sleep, Chris would find himself feeling very rested upon waking up in the morning, enough so that he almost wanted to just spend the rest of the day upon the Mobian-scale mattress and idle away the hours simply enjoying the sensation of being rested… but alas that simply wasn't allowed. Forcing himself from the bed, he would engage in his morning exercises as per usual and even make an attempt at using the houses small shower to clean himself (thus experiencing perhaps the most cramped shower of his entire life). Once finished he almost immediately headed out to his ship, stopping himself midway to the door when he realized he'd forgotten to check on Cream. He quietly made his way to her room, only to find the door was open and neither Cream nor Cheese were anywhere in sight. He looked about curiously as he wandered the house in search of his companions. "Cream? Cheese?" he called out, brow furrowing as the creeping sensation of worry began to filter its way through him.

He told himself that he was being paranoid, but when he could locate neither hide nor hair of his newfound friends anywhere in the house his worry turned into a full blown panic. He rushed out of the house, looking about wildly for signs of either the Mobian girl or the (supposedly male) Chao anywhere in the village. "Cream! CREAM! Where are you?" he yelled as dashed out, trying to decide which way to head first while the horrible possibilities of what might've happened began to dance around in his head. Already the horrible scenario danced before his eyes; a prowler in the night, some wretched scavenger looking for an easy means of survival, coming across the seemingly abandoned house only to stumble across a sleeping little girl and her pet, hideous ideas forming in his head as he reached out to snatch them away…

"Chris?" The aforementioned human whirled about to see Cream standing behind him, Cheese hovering by her side, the both of them looking up at him rather curiously. In her hands appeared to be a ring made from flowers, and Chris nearly dissolved from the relief he felt. Unaware as to his earlier emotional state, Cream approached with a quizzical look on her face. "I'm right here. Why were you yelling?" she asked innocently, and Chris let out a visible sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank goodness. When I woke up couldn't find you, I got worried," Chris explained to her. "I thought that maybe you'd gone missing or had been stolen from your bed or…" He suddenly gained a sheepish smile when he started to realize just how his list of concerns might sound a tad insane. "Or… look, the point is I got worried, that's all," he murmured with a sigh as he looked down at Cream, who smiled up at him apologetically.

"I'm sorry to have made you so worried, Chris. Cheese and I just went out to make you a gift," she explained, presenting the ring of flowers to him. Now it was Chris' turn to be confused, and he looked over the ring of flowers that Cream had so diligently made as she continued speaking. "Mother taught me how to make these. She said it's something you make for people who are your friends… you're my friend, so you get one," she beamed, while Chris gingerly took the thing in hand to inspect it closer.

"Wow, it's beautiful," he murmured in light appreciation as he looked closer upon the various flowers that'd been strung together to make the lovely creation. "It's been a long time since I had a gift given to me, and certainly nothing like this," he smiled down to her. "Thank you very kindly," he nodded down to her, prompting a pleased grin from the young rabbit and the Chao. Turning around Chris headed for his ship, opening it up and placing the plant constructed ring inside a glove compartment for safe keeping and then proceeded to pull out his tools.

Cream dashed ahead so that she was by his side, Cheese by her side as always, gazing upwards to him. "You'll be working on your ship again today?" Cream asked curiously.

"Yep," Chris nodded as he headed out with the tool box in hand, walking back towards the engine's access panel. "I need to get this bird up in the air as soon as possible, so that means I'll have to spend most of the day doing everything I can to get the engines back in shape," he explained as he began to remove the panel, not noticing the sudden downcast look that came over Cream as he spoke.

"Oh, I see…" she murmured, biting her lower lip slightly as she looked up at the human. "And… and where will you go, Chris?"

"Well, before I headed into Mobos I scoped out areas that'd make the best places for me to hide from Robotnik but allow me to be close enough that I could maintain an attack on his main base," Chris explained blithely, unaware of the shift in his friend's mood. "I've decided that I'll head for the Great Forest and set up my base of operations there, as the thick woods provide the best cover possible against his forces."

Cream's sadness vanished when he mentioned the massive forest, her expression brightening immediately. "Oooh, the Great Forest? That's where the Freedom Fighters are!"

Chris had been about to start his repairs before hearing her excited statement, and he turned his head to her. "Really now?" he asked, recalling the mention of Mobian Freedom Fighter groups from the security tapes he'd gone over back in Overland. That they seemed to have the same idea as he did wasn't particularly surprising, now that he considered it, especially since they'd have been more familiar with the area by default. That Cream knew the Freedom Fighters were situated in the Great Forest was a testament to the place's effectiveness as a hiding spot; if Robotnik couldn't locate them despite knowing they were, then Chris at least had a chance of hiding away just as well.

"Oh yes," Cream nodded excitedly. "They're always fighting against Robotnik and ruining his plans, I heard so! People who moved in to the village spoke of them a lot of times about how they saved people from Robotnik and made him angry by destroying his factories and war machines and stopping him from conquering more of the planet, especially a hedgehog called Sonic!" she chirped on excitedly, Chris' eyes widening at the revelation and his body stiffening. He forced himself to remain calm as he spoke.

"You don't say?" He didn't turn to face her as he spoke and instead focused on numbly working at the damaged engine as his mind flashed back to the tapes of 'Priority One', the bile of resentment growing in his mind as he recalled how easy that particular hedgehog made everything look.

"Oh yes," Cream stated eagerly. "They say that he's the fastest thing alive, able to run faster than the speed of sound, and that he's not at all afraid of Robotnik or his evil robots!"

"I'll be he isn't," Chris muttered darkly to himself as he continued with his work on the engine, though his grip on the tools had tightened considerably. Detecting the change in tone, Cream looked up at him quizzically, while Cheese flew up to sit atop the ship and gaze down at Chris as he worked.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Cream asked him, albeit a bit cautiously.

"Yes, it's a very good thing, a very, very good thing," Chris answered back flatly as he glowered into the engine. Cheese got a concerned look to his face and then looked to Cream, letting loose a few soft cries of 'Chao' and causing Cream to swallow.

"Cheese says you look angry, Chris," Cream murmured softly. "Why is hearing about mister Sonic making you angry?"

Chris threw a sharp glare at the traitorous Chao before returning to his work. "I'm not angry, Cream," he stated sternly, making sure now to keep his face out of the little blue stool-pigeon's range of view as he worked.

"Yes you are!" she accused, pointing a finger to him. "Why would hearing about Sonic making things hard for Robotnik make you upset?" At the accusation, Chris ceased his work and slowly turned around to face her, something in him breaking and causing words to exit his mouth before he could really consider their effect.

"You want to know why?" he sighed out, narrowing his eyes a bit as he began to get a few things off his chest. "Maybe it's because he never once helped me or my people when we needed it. Maybe it's because he makes fighting Robotnik look so easy, almost like a game, while some of us had to suffer and bleed just to make a little bit of progress against that monster. Maybe it's because he has superpowers and can afford to show off and be all heroic and crap, while the rest of us have to toil and die and hurt all the damn time-!" He his tone grew angrier and more frustrated as he spoke, frustrations long held in him spilling out, and he only just barely managed to catch himself before he could really get started… and then saw the look on Cream's face, wincing as the realization of how he was acting towards her began to dawn upon him. He gave a pause and let out a sad sigh, rubbing his face before looking to her again. To her credit, Cream was standing her ground, but it was clear his words had both frightened her and hurt her, and by this point Cheese had floated over into her arms to hold her as he stared at Chris with a similar fright. Shame washed over Chris in an instant; he'd allowed his personal issues with a hedgehog he'd never met before surface, and he'd taken it out on an innocent little girl to boot. "Cream, I'm sorry, I…" he shook his head, and Cheese now glowered at Chris almost as if to say 'You're damn right you're sorry!', and Chris wouldn't have questioned it.

"I…I understand that you've had it really bad," Cream murmured, a small quiver in her voice that spoke volumes of the hurt that she was feeling now, shame welling up in Chris as she continued on. "And I know… I know Mobians haven't always been very nice to you or your people," she sniffed. "But that doesn't mean you have to yell at me! I was just telling you about him because he makes Robotnik seem less scary, and I thought you'd like to know that someone is able to stand up to him like that…" tears were now starting to form at the sides of her eyes, and Chris felt lower than the belly of a snake at that moment. Cheese's constant glaring at him didn't help things any.

"Aw Cream, don't cry," he said softly as he put his tools aside, getting down on one knee before her to make himself appear smaller before the distraught girl. Cream took a step back from him, fearfully, and Chris once more winced. "I know, I've been horrible to you when you didn't do anything wrong. It's just that back home I went through a lot of terrible things fighting against Robotnik's armies, and I saw footage of Sonic and how easy it was for him… I wanted to be able to do that. It made me angry at him even though I didn't know anything about him other then the fact Robotnik hated him," he confessed with a sad sigh, looking down at the ground. "Hearing you talking about him and how he saves everyone, it just reminded me of what I couldn't do to help the people I loved," he raised his head to look her in the eye, expression filled to the brim with remorse. "But that doesn't excuse me saying what I said to you, and I truly am sorry for acting the way I did," he slowly extended an arm to her, a passive gesture asking her to take his hand in her own. "Please, forgive me."

Cream gazed at him and then at his hand for a few moments, wiping her eyes clean of the tears that had been forming… and then smiling gently at him and taking the offered hand. "Okay… I forgive you," she said softly, though Cheese hovered by her side with his arms crossed, still glowering at Chris. Cream then let out a giggle and ran to Chris, wrapping her arms around his neck to give him a surprisingly tight hug. Chris was nonplussed by the action, but only for a moment before he smiled and returned the action, mindful of his strength as he wrapped his arms around her, arms that could've easily broken a fully grown Mobian in half.

"I'm sorry for being a jerk," he sighed to her happily, the hug feeling him with a kind of familial warmth he'd not enjoyed in a good long while. "One thing you'll learn when you grow up? Is that grown-ups often do stupid things for silly reasons that don't make much sense, and still do them even when they should know better," he chuckled self-depreciatively. Cream just smiled up at him, all traces of her hurt feelings having seemingly vanished.

"I'll have to remember that then and hope I don't do the same," Cream giggled up at him as she released him from the hug and stepped back from him, arms behind her back. "Maybe if he knew about you, he'd have helped…" she intoned quietly.

"Perhaps… one can never really tell," Chris agreed, even though privately he had his doubts about how helpful the blue hedgehog might be towards his people, but he wouldn't get into that right about now. Cheese however continued to hover and glare at Chris, and by now Chris was growing a tad concerned. "Alright, I've got to ask… why is he still looking at me like that?" he asked, jerking a thumb towards the irate Chao. "I said I was sorry and all."

"Chao, Chao Chao CHAO!" the Chao snapped angrily, flying up to Chris' face and glowering at him intensely. Cream gave a soft giggle and put a hand to her mouth, gazing apologetically over at Chris.

"He says it's because you yelled at him too and didn't apologize for it," she explained ruefully, and in response Chris gave her a flat look of disbelief before looking to Cream.

"Seriously?" he asked, both directly and rhetorically, then catching himself before he could say anything else. With a sigh, he smiled up at Cheese. "I'm sorry I yelled at you too, Cheese, I didn't mean it." This seemed to placate the Chao, and he began to chirp happily as he floated over to Chris and gave his arm a hug.

"Cheese says he accepts the apology," Cream announced happily, Cheese soon dislodging himself from Chris and heading on back to hover by the rabbit girl.

"Well, aren't I lucky for that fact?" Chris chuckled as he got to his feet, taking his tools back in hand. "Alright, you two play, I still have work to do. Just be sure to stay close to the village," he stated seriously. "And if you see anyone who isn't familiar to you, come straight back and tell me, okay?"

Cream let out a small sigh and nodded up to him. "Okay," she replied quietly, before beaming at Cheese once more. "Come on, Cheese!" she waved him over, soon dashing off and leaving Chris on his own once more to work on The Deliverance. Chris did not begin his work immediately, instead taking pause as Mobian and Chao frolicked about, laughing merrily as they took turns chasing one another… watching the scene brought back memories of the base, and of the other children that had been there. There'd not been much time to be a child or have a real community beyond the military atmosphere, not when there were killer robots to fight. Not for the first time, Chris felt a degree of envy toward Cream; she'd been able to have a childhood despite the horrors of the world, and still retain some childhood innocence even as her sanctuary came crashing down around him.

Which still brought up the uncomfortable question of what to do with her once he left Pinehaven; he could not take her along with him, nor could he abandon his mission on her behalf. Frowning to himself, Chris re-focused his efforts on the engine and allowed himself to become lost to time, not noticing as the hours of the day passed on from morning until afternoon. At last beginning to feel the physical side effects of his non-stop work, yawning tiredly and wiping his brow as he hazily looked around for signs of Cream; it was then that he took notice of a smell… a rather appetizing smell. "Huh… smells like someone's baking something," he murmured to himself as he stood up, pausing to sniff about and trying to pinpoint the mysterious odor's source. Moving forward, he realized then that it was coming from Cream's house, and not for the first time he felt panic race through him upon realizing that Cream was working an oven. "Oh hell-!" he dashed forward to the house, the smell growing stronger. "Cream? What are you doing in there?" he asked urgently as he headed for the kitchen, doing a good job of hiding his terror… pausing when he found the young girl pulling what looked like a jumbo sized cupcake from out of the crude kitchen stove, and she looked up at him with a blithe smile as she removed the confectionary treat and placed it on the table.

"Oh, Chris! You're just in time… you were working so hard, so I thought I would make you a treat for when you got hungry," she explained as she removed a pair of oven mittens and a smock, both of which were too big for her. "There was some milk, flour and sugar left over, it would have gone to waste anyway," she beamed up at him.

"Cripes," Chris murmured as he still took in small cake, giving an amused chuckle as he looked down to Cream. "You are just full of surprised, aren't you?" he smirked, reaching down to give the top of her head an affectionate rub, prompting a giggle from the girl.

"Cheese helped, so thank him as well!" She announced cheerfully, prompting the Chao to beam with pride.

"Heh, alright, thank you as well Cheese," Chris smiled, giving him a light pat on the head before looking about the kitchen for some cutlery, managing to locate a knife and three forks. "I don't suppose you two would mind if I shared this with you?"

"Not at all!"

"Chao chao!"

"Heh, thought so," Chris smirked before he carefully cut the large cupcake into three pieces, giving two to Cream and Cheese and keeping the last for himself. The three would cheerfully eat their respective pieces of cake as they exchanged conversation concerning their day and whatever other odds and ends they could come up with (Cream providing translation on Cheese's behalf, of course). Once the meal was finished, Chris stood from the table and gave a small stretched and a satisfied yawn, "Man, I cannot begin to tell you how long it's been since I had something like that to eat," he informed her with a grateful smile. "I don't think I've had anything like cake since I was a little kid… thank you, Cream."

"You're welcome, Chris," Cream smiled bashfully. "It's just another one of those things that I learnt from mother. I'll take care of the dishes if you like."

"No, I think I'll help, it won't take too long," Chris waved his hand as he collected the plates, utensils, and cook ware that had been used and scattered about. "It's the least I could do for something as nice as that cake," he chuckled as he deposited the dishes in the sink and proceeded to turn on the water, thankful for the primitive if efficient plumbing system the village utilized. Cream looked up at him thoughtfully as he worked on the dishes, a debate raging in her young mind… one that brought an unusual degree of inner conflict as she contemplated her next action.

"Well… there IS something else you could do for me…" she stated a bit hesitantly. Chris raised a brow at the tone even as he finished polishing off the last of the plates.

"Oh? And what might that be?"

"You could… you could not leave?" she asked in a small, tragically hopeful voice, wincing right after the words exited her mouth. Chris paused for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh and looking down at her sadly.

"Cream, I'm sorry, but I can't do that," he stated apologetically.

"Why, though?" Cream asked in almost pleading tone. "Why do you have to leave here? Why can't you just stay here with me and Cheese instead of going out and fighting Robotnik? The Freedom Fighters are already making him regret hurting all the people he has, so why do you need to do anything?" She sniffed a little, her large ears seeming to droop down further then they already did on their own. "I've already lost my mommy and all of my friends… I don't want to have to lose you as well," her large eyes were now beginning to water up as she made clear her precise feelings about him leaving.

Chris got down on his knee and looked at her in the eye even if the sadness in her eyes stabbed at him like a rusted knife. He put a hand to her shoulder, remaining firm with her as he spoke. "I have to do this because I have to make him pay for what he did to my people. I know it's hard to understand, but he did terrible things both to me and my countrymen… I owe it to everyone whose lives were lost to make him pay for his actions as best I can," Chris explained to her sternly. "I've gotten this far, and I can't give it up, not after everything I went through to make it here."

Cream looked down dejectedly, her eyes shut and the tears flowing silently down her cheeks. "But it's not fair… I don't want to say goodbye so soon after making a friend…"

Chris then gave a light smile, putting a finger under her chin to gently nudge her head up so that she was looking at him once more. "Wipe those tears away, Cream. We're not going to say goodbye just yet," he said softly as he used his other hand to pick up a nearby cloth to do just that. "See, I'm not going to just leave you here on your own; I'm going to take you with me and try and find people who can take care of you first."

Cream's eyes widened. "Really?" she asked, almost hopefully. The prospect of parting from her friend didn't exactly thrill her, but the chance that she could be with him a bit longer definitely made his impending separation a less painful subject for her then it had been before.

Chris smirked. "Of course; what, thought I'd just finish working on my ship and then just leave you here high and dry?" he chuckled, pulling her into a hug and patting her back. "We will have to part with each other eventually, but I get the feeling it may take a good amount of time before I'm able to find a Mobian family to take care of you."

"But if they'd take me in, wouldn't they take you in as well?" Cream piped up as she returned the hug, prompting a sigh from Chris.

"Unfortunately I doubt it… I got lucky meeting you Cream, but most Mobians aren't going to be that open-minded about my existence as you," he explained to her with a sad smile. "Don't act like you didn't already know that, Cream," he chided her light as he separated himself from her, standing to his full height, hands upon his hips.

Cream sighed and kicked at the ground half-heartedly. "I know, I know, I just… I don't want you to go, is all," she smiled sadly.

"Yeah, and I don't want to leave you either," Chris confessed with a heavy heart. "But it has to be done. What I intend to do is very dangerous, and I would never be able to forgive myself if anything bad happened to you, understand?" Cream gave a small nod in response, and Chris smiled. "Good girl. While I go finish up the repairs on my ship, you pack your things alright? At this rate we'll be leaving by tomorrow morning."

"So soon?" Cream looked shocked, putting her hands to her cheeks. "Oh dear, I'll have to hurry then; come on, Cheese!" She rushed out of the small kitchen, Cheese floating after her frantically, allowing Chris the chance to leave and resume his work. Hours would pass as Chris lost himself once more in the familiar rhythm of repairs, but by evening he would at last be finished.

Wiping his brow of sweat, he sealed up the engines paneling and gave it a light pat. "Alright then… let's see if you're ready to fly again, gorgeous," he chuckled before heading inside. Carefully he would activate the engines, and to his delight The Deliverance took up a few in the air with no difficulty. He proceeded to test it, circling around the village square a few times, laughing in triumph as he landed the now fully functional hover ship. "Alright! Chris, you are the man!" he congratulated himself as he exited the ship, heading back for the house. "Cream, have you got everything packed?" he called out as he entered the house, heading for the guest room to gather up his own things.

"Yes, Chris!" she called back from her room, Cheese taking the time to make his own confirmation.

"Did you remember to pack only what you'll need?" Chris called out again as he got his own miscellaneous gear organized and contained within his armor's detachable backpack.

"Yep!" came her bell like response. Chris would head out of the guest room and toward her room, spotting her through the open door as she sat on her bed, a small bag packed by her side, Cheese sitting atop it while the rabbit girl bore a contemplative look on her face. "Got a lot on your mind, huh?"

"Yes," Cream murmured as she stared into her hands. "This place is ruined, but it's still my home. I've lived here since I was born and I'm… I'm kind of nervous about leaving," she admitted, looking up to him with an uncertain expression over her young face. Chris gave an understanding smile, kneeling by down by her (not trusting her bed to be able to hold his weight) and placing a comforting hand to her shoulder.

"Believe it or not, I know precisely what you're going through," he stated to her. "My choice to leave home to come to Mobos wasn't exactly an easy one… I spent over a year debating whether or not I should, and even when I made the choice it was pretty damn scary. I mean, I was going to go to a completely unfamiliar continent filled with people who'd want to kill me… at the very least, you'll get to be with more of your own kind."

"I guess you're right," Cream murmured, then looked up at him. "Chris… when you said that you came alone, because the others couldn't make it… why was that?"

Chris stared down at her, then let out a somewhat forlorn sigh as he looked away from her and down at the floor. "They just couldn't, alright?" he stated tiredly, not wanting to bring up the fact that as far as he knew he was the last of his kind on the planet barring Robotnik and his nephew. He tried not to think about it, even if it lingered at the back of his mind and threatened to undo him.

Cream cringed slightly knowing that the question was a sensitive subject and condemning herself for letting her curiosity get the better of her like that. "Okay," was all she could say, deciding to let the subject go and regretting having even brought it up. Chris turned his gaze to her, a question of his own forming in his mind.

"What's your mother like?" he asked softly; he'd heard much about what she could do, but not all that much on what she was like as a person. He had little clue about where the question had come from or the sudden curiosity that fueled it had emerged, but now it was out in the open. Cream herself looked up in surprise before gaining a thoughtful expression upon her little furred face.

"Well, she's very nice," Cream began with a fond smile. "Very polite, always treats other people well," she continued on. "She didn't let the bad things that seemed to happen get to her too badly, and she was always willing to share what she had with others even if what she had wasn't all that much to begin with," she then looked to Chris. "What were your parents like?"

"Oh, well, where do I start?" Chris chuckled. "My dad was a businessman and my mother was an actress, and they were always very busy. However they were always willing to make time for me and even then I at least had my Grandfather, Chuck. He was a scientist, a really smart one too, and he taught me everything there was to know about computers and machines," Chris beamed proudly. "Mother and father were good people, as was my grandfather," he sighed out. "I also had an uncle named Sam, he tested vehicles for the military, and holy cow he was a hothead and speed junkie," Chris sniggered. "He once let me ride his hover speeder with him when I was little, nearly gave my mom a heart attack."

"Oh dear, that wasn't very responsible of him was it?" Cream chided, though the giggle she was suppressing with her hand told all Chris needed to know about her actual thoughts on the matter.

"To say the least," Chris smirked. "Besides my relatives, we also had a few servants. The house was mostly automated by that point, but we kept a butler and a maid, Mr. Tanaka and Ella," he smiled at the memory of the two. "Mr. Tanaka was very quiet and serious, and he did his job without ever complaining and did it really well, and even taught me how to fight in the style of his ancestors," Seeing Cream's curious look, he decided to further elaborate. "Tanaka's ancestors were from east Overland and developed a form of unarmed fighting that allowed them to protect themselves even if they didn't have any weapons on hand," he explained. "And then there was Ella. You would have liked her, she was a friendly woman who did her best to keep the house in order, and a wonderful cook to boot," he then let out a sigh. "Tanaka stuck with us when we escaped from home, but Ella had left earlier…" he murmured. He'd always wondered what had become of her, but knowing his luck she was probably the same place where everyone else who'd mattered to him ended up.

Now it was Cream's turn to place a hand to his arm to comfort him. "If you don't know what's happened to her, then there is hope, like you said," she smiled gently, repeating words from earlier. "It sounds like they were all wonderful people," she then let her ears droop down sadly as her expression fell. "I'm sorry you lost them…"

"Tell me about it," Chris murmured before reaching out to stroke her head. "I got used to the fact they were gone a while ago, but truth be told it doesn't stop it from hurting. Luckily I learnt to get used to the pain." He smiled down at her. "You helped to make it easier, at that," he stated softly. Cream gave him an overwhelmed look, saying nothing as she dived forward to wrap her arms around Chris's torso in a small hug, Cheese joining her by doing similar to his arm, nuzzling him affectionately. Chris returned the gesture, until he noticed how dark it was getting. "Well Cream, it's getting late and we've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow. You'll need to conserve your strength for the journey ahead of us," he stated as he gently withdrew from the hug, standing up and gazing down at her. Cream looked disappointed and sighed, but nodded her head anyway.

"I know, I know," she murmured before smiling up at him. "Will you at least tuck me in?"

"That much, I can do," Chris chuckled as set her bag aside and pulled the covers of her bed up, then lifting Cream up from under her arms and prompting a giggle from her as he gently lay her into the bed, then placing the covers over her. "There now, are we all nice and snug?" he asked with a smirk, and she nodded rapidly. Cheese crossed his arms in a huff, scowling slightly at Chris, who let out a somewhat aggravated sigh. "Right, right, sorry," he muttered as he lifted Cheese up and nestled him next to Cream under the covers. "There, happy?" he asked, smiling none the less. Cheese beamed up to him, giving a vigorous 'Chao!' to relate his happiness, Chris reaching over to pet his head. "Thought so," he chuckled, wondering what it suggested about himself that he could now get the gist of the Chao's bleating without the need for Cream to play interpreter on his behalf. "Good night you two," he smiled.

"Good night, Chris!"

"Chao chao!"

Chris gave a small chuckle as he stood and headed out, though not for the first time he underestimated the distance between his himself and the top of the doorway and promptly banged his head. "Aw, sonova-!" he winced as he grabbed at his injured cranium, stopping himself just in time from uttering something unpleasant to the impressionable ears around him, though the immature giggling of both Mobian and Chao alerted him to the fact they'd both come to their own conclusions. "I said nothing, you can't prove anything," he chuckled as he turned to face them down.

"Whatever you say, Chris," Cream smirked, a surprisingly mischievous expression for one normally so polite and well behaved.

"It's true!" Chris protested with a small laugh before setting his hand to the room's lamp, deftly switching it off. "Good night, Cream," he said to her as light from the moon illuminated the small bedroom before him. Cream gave a small yawn, wriggling about as she made herself comfortable for the last night she would spend in that bed.

"Good night Chris," she sighed out happily, though her next words would shoot through the human with the precision of a laser rifle. "It was nice having you as a big brother."

Chris paused for a moment, looking over his shoulder at the young rabbit. "It was nice having you as a little sister…" he responded quietly before he left the room, closing the door behind him and making his way down the hall back to the guest room, shutting off the lights as he went. _She thinks of me as her brother,_ he thought to himself as he headed for the bed slowly, removing the necessary bits of armor and clothing to make his sleep comfortable. _She thinks of me as her brother, and I've let myself come to think of her as a sister… I could stop this, _he considered to himself as he lay down, gazing up at the ceiling as he tried to get some sleep. _I could just tell her I changed my mind and we could just live out the war here. The Freedom Fighters sound like they're doing a good enough job of keeping Robotnik on his toes… I already knew I'd be throwing my life away for this, but now there's something worth living for, something worth protecting from harm. _Chris would then frown, clutching at the covers as his thoughts took a different turn. _Exactly why I have to do this… Cream is worth fighting for, her future survival worth dying for. She'd ultimately be better off living with her own then being a pariah who considers a human her sibling; I now have to do this to make sure that there is a world for her to grow up in. For her sake, and for the sacrifice of my friends, I must continue on with the plan, and pray that Cream won't come to hate me for it. _With that he managed to shut his eyes and at least try and get some sleep.

It shamed him that he had nearly thrown away his promise to his murdered comrades on the behalf of a Mobian child that he'd known for only a few days, but he could not deny the fact that he was close with her… and he missed having a friend. For that reason though he had to make her a part of his mission rather than a detriment to it; a motivating factor to see things through rather than a distraction to drive him to abandoning his self imposed duties. Gradually his mental debate and self justification would fade away into a hazy murmur, and the scientist-soldier far too young for his position or memories would fall unconscious and into sleep.

_He did not know where he was, but he had Cream with him, and he knew why he was there. This needed to be done. Cream was clinging to his leg, and Cheese was pulling at his arm; both of them were desperately trying to halt him, but he knew this needed to be done, he just did. He continued to walk forward impassively until he reached the people he'd intended to meet; a rich looking rabbit couple. Chris and the rabbits talked, their conversation being about Cream and her pet; they thanked him for bringing her to their attention and he informed them Cream would be very happy to be with them. Cream screamed out protests, but Chris would have none of it; he gently forced her from his leg and pushed her towards the Mobian couple, and Cheese would follow after her. He noted the rabbits were like the surroundings, grey and drab and nearly without distinction, while he and Cream both seemed to possess their vibrancy still. The couple took her hand in hand and began to lead her away, and she looked over her shoulder at Chris and begged him to take her back. With a heavy sigh he turned around and walked the opposite direction; he overheard the rabbit couple speaking again, telling Cream she'd be much better off with them instead of some filthy human, and he felt they were right. He looked over his shoulder and could see that Cream was turning a fine shade of grey as well, her yelling and protests quieting as she became more and more like her new family. Even Cheese seemed to become little more than a floating grey blob as they moved on, and Chris noticed he too was turning grey… and then a shadow enveloped him, and all around him were mechanical shapes with glittering red eyes, weapons clicking in preparation for a fight, and hovering above them all was a great fat man with an enormous mustache, his own red eyes burning like fire and hideous glee as the machines closed in on Chris. Through small gaps in the crowd he could see Cream and her new family still, but Cream did not appear as she had been… she was like them now, and before the laser-fire tore into him and the wicked laughter of the floating fat-man seared his brain, the horrified realization came to him that he was responsible for making her like that, and all he could do was scream._

Chris shot up in his bed, a familiar icy chill going through his veins as the nightmare worked its magic on his nerves. A few pants later and the realization struck that what had just transpired was just a mass of images produced by his overactive mind, and he let out a shaky sigh. "God help me," he muttered, rubbing his eyes he took stock of his surroundings and from the light outside his window he could see that it was almost dawn. Getting out of bed he walked to the window and could see, even through the mass of trees, the sun was almost rising. "Here's to making sure everything goes right," he murmured to himself before he set himself to work, swiftly donning his fatigues, armor and weaponry. He'd quickly awaken Cream and Cheese from their own slumber and lead them on out of the house with their things in hand, towards The Deliverance.

"If you want to say any goodbyes," Chris informed her as he opened up the door to the hovercraft, "Now would be the time to do so."

Cream looked up at him and then towards the town, gazing sadly at the place where she'd been born and raised. "Goodbye house… thanks for sheltering me," she began before turning her head towards a burnt building. "Goodbye schoolyard, thanks for helping me to learn," and then to another "Goodbye library, thanks for having so much to read…" she sighed out and then began to look about with a sad fondness as the memories of her home danced about in her mind. "Goodbye Pinehaven Village… thanks for all the good times you helped me to share and for giving me friends and letting mister Chauncey visit and give me Cheese," she sniffed a bit, Cheese snuggling into her arm at the affirmation of her love for him. Wiping her eyes, she looked up at Chris. "Alright…alright, I'm ready," she nodded. Chris gave her a sympathetic pat on her shoulders, smiling gently.

"Ladies first," he chuckled, a statement that caused Cream to perk up slightly as she and Cheese headed forward and into the Deliverance, Chris following right behind them and heading for the pilot's seat. "Alright then, be sure to buckle up, and do not under any circumstances touch anything that looks interesting," he informed her half-seriously as she got into the passenger seat next just behind him, buckling up as asked and setting her bag beside her, looking about curiously as she held Cheese close.

"I've never been in a hover vehicle before," she said with some awe. "Are you sure this will be safe?"

"Trust me, I spent the better part of a year working on this tub," Chris chuckled. "She'll be safe even if the journey might not be. Now be sure to brace yourself, because we are going to go pretty danged fast," he informed her, smirking a bit when he saw her eyes widen. Activating the ship's engines, Cream gave a small yelp as she felt the ship shake slightly and rise up over the earth. Chris would activate the holo-map and make an educated guess concerning where they were located exactly and how what direction they needed to go, and from here he could tell they would need to head south to reach their intended destination. "Alright Cream, it'll take us a few days, but we'll be able to reach the Great Forest easily, and from there we'll do what we can to find you a family to take you in," he explained to her once more as he began to fly the ship out of the village and maneuver it past the woods.

"Yes, I know," she murmured somewhat forlornly, but then smirked. "But you never know how long it might take before we run into someone," she pointed out rather slyly, Cheese chortling haughtily by her side. Chris had to give a chuckle at that.

"You may have a point there, Cream… now hold on tight!" he announced as they exited the forest at last, and he began to rev up The Deliverance to top speed, then taking off like a shot. Cream and Cheese's excited squeal's echoed in his ear as he drove further away from the forest, and soon the woods were little more than a speck on the horizon for the three travelers as they headed forward into their future.

The dust would settle in Pinehaven as The Deliverance took off with its last inhabitants, leaving the village now entirely abandoned. Several hours would pass without incident, save for the falling of leaves and the microscopic growth of the grass, before something of interest would happen. Something would enter the village, something very fast, fast enough that the wind it picked up behind it caused dust and leaves and dirt to be disrupted once the figure stopped in the center of the village, green eyes looking about sharply for signs of life.

Like a whirlwind the figure ran about the village, looking into every house and every building he could find, frowning to himself as his searching brought up no signs of what he'd come for. He paused for a moment, and he would head out into the woods, maneuvering past the trees with an agility and skill that was practically second nature. Several times over he searched the outer perimeter of the woods, and he would return to Pinehaven empty handed. Standing in the center of the square, he muttered only two words as he buried his face into his hand; a forlorn utterance that spoke volumes of his frustration and sadness as the realization hit him that there was truly no one left in the village, least of all who he'd been looking for.

"Aw dammit…"

With that, the figure took off in a blur of blue, leaving Pinehaven abandoned once more; silent save for the idle songs of birds and insects that echoed throughout the forest.


	8. A Minor Setback

**Disclaimer: **Hoo man, took a while for this one to get up didn't it? To anyone who has been consistently reading this, sorry this took so long, real life interfering and all that… just know that I AM working on this, even if I'm not doing so as efficiently as I might like to. Anyway, nothing here belongs to me, it all ultimately belongs to SEGA. This is written for entertainment and not profit, and no copyright infringement is intended.

**A Difficult Road Traveled**

**Chapter Eight: A Minor Setback**

It felt good to be back in the cockpit of The Deliverance, Chris had to admit. After spending so much time riding it across the plains, he'd actually gotten used to the various sensations that were sent his way from the activated ship. Thus far he was making excellent progress, with hours having gone by and zero sign of patrol ships or engine difficulties during the flight. Cream by this point was asleep with Cheese by her side, and for this Chris was thankful; her initial excitement at flying at the speeds they were going was not dissimilar to how she may have acted if she'd been given a bag of sugar to eat. Chris had been anticipating a bit of enthusiasm, but the normally calm girl's response had been rather startling to say the least. While he was happy she was enjoying herself, Chris had to admit he felt relieved when she'd at last gotten to sleep, allowing him to concentrate his efforts fully on getting them to the Great Forest. About the only thing that put a damper on his mood was the fact that the black scar upon the land that was Robotropolis was becoming clearer and clearer as they moved along. Seeing the ugly thing chilled him slightly, and as per usual he was keeping the ship down and around any potential sources of cover that he could locate amidst the plains.

For the moment he was practically lounging in his seat as they flew on, feeling oddly relaxed despite knowing in the back of his mind that it was foolish to do so… and then came the sound of plasma striking shields, and sensation of the ship rocking violently.

Cream awoke with a start, clutching Cheese close to her as she was forced into consciousness. She looked about in a panic, eyes wide and filled with fear as she tried to figure out what was going on. "What's happening?" she bleated out in terror.

"We're under attack!" Chris roared back as he kept hold of the ship's control, grunting as he was jerked forward from another blast to the ship's rear. He grit his teeth in a rage, wondering how in the hell someone could've gotten the drop on him without his defense array picking up on them to begin with. "Keep your head low, Cream!" he ordered her, tearing his helmet from his head to place it atop her own. "And keep this on at all times!" Cream did as asked, curling up on her seat and holding on tight to both it and Cheese, while Chris sharply turned the ship in an attempt to get a view of their attacker, and his actions were rewarded by a sight that made his blood run cold; an airborne machine that resembled a black, flying-wing with a red visor glittering against its dark body, coming at him swiftly. It was something he'd heard about but had not actually encountered during his days in the resistance; a Stealth-Bot. These had been a terror to resistance groups that engaged in air to air combat, possessing stealth systems unmatched by anything else known on Mobius and a lethally effective array of on-board weaponry, with a tactical AI to match. Already the Stealth-Bot was opening fire as it flew towards him, a barrage of laser bolts streaking towards his ship. It was only thanks to an adrenaline fueled jerk of his hand that the ship managed to avoid the deadly strike; Chris responded by returning fire with his own plasma-chargers… to his frustration the drone simply barrel-rolled to evade the blasts, practically mocking him with the ease that it had avoided damage. The Stealth-Bot sped right past him, and again Chris would make a sharp turn to try and get it within his sights.

Once more it had already turned and was facing him once more, and Chris' computer gave alert that it was locking onto his ship, while Cream continued to keep under and whimper to herself fearfully. Chris snapped to attention and began a new maneuver, zigzagging erratically even as the 'bot sent a missile his way, hoping to upset both the missile and the Stealth-Bot's targeting systems and tactical AI. Stealth-Bots, he'd heard, were advanced and capable when it came to tactics, but were also inflexible and slow to adapt to the unexpected. Utilizing the maneuverability of The Deliverance to the fullest he continued his insane motions in the sky, making sure to cross the anti-grav particle trails left behind from his engines to confuse the tracking systems of the missle while at the same time getting off random shots of plasma energy at the Stealth-Bot itself. To his relief his gambit worked and the missile wavered about in the web of particle trails Chris had left, spiraling out of control into the dirt. He smirked when he saw his own blasts had managed to strike at the Stealth-Bot's wings, smoke pouring from the damage dealt before it managed to maneuver itself away. Now Chris was the one pursuing it, firing wildly at it as he tried to land a hit on it, only for his luck from earlier to leave him as swiftly as the Stealth-Bot evaded his blasts.

The 'bot's next move took him off guard; its engine flared and soon it was looping up into the sky and behind him, and his ship was once more rocked by plasma fire, prompting a scream of terror from Cream. Chris felt his brow dabbled with sweat as diagnostic specs came up; his ship wouldn't last much longer. Keenly aware that even if he managed to escape the ship along with Cream they would still be an open target for the Stealth-Bot, Chris tried for a desperate tactic. Easing the hovercraft upwards he suddenly lowered the power to the engines, slowing the craft down suddenly and plowing the back of it against the upper part of the 'bot, the hideous screech of metal tearing greeting his ear as his ship roughly slid over the Bot and sheared away its armor from the impact while doing the same to the underside of The Deliverance. Focusing through the horrific cacophony of torn machinery he weaved his ailing ship behind the damaged drone, firing wildly at the drone even as the inside of his ship smoked and warning klaxons wailed amidst Cream and Cheese's terrified whimpers.

Against the wild hail of blasts a few struck true, and those were more than enough to send the badly damaged machine spiraling from the skies as it gave way to the damage inflicted upon its frame. Puffs of smoke poured from the location of its hover engine, leaving a smoky trail even as it fell to the earth and exploded in a brilliant crimson plume upon impact with the ground below. Chris barely had time to appreciate his victory however; the diagnostics showed the power core of his ship was breached, meaning his friends and he had only a few minutes to get out of The Deliverance before meeting a similar fate as the Stealth Bot. Roughly landing the ship and opening the door he looked down to Cream urgently. "Cream, take Cheese and RUN! Don't look back, just do it!"

Cream looked up at him, eyes wide with terror, but said nothing as she hastily unbuckled herself and took Cheese under her arm and slung her bag over her back, dashing out of the doomed craft with as much speed as she could muster. With Cream safely out of The Deliverance, Chris unbuckled his own seatbelt and frantically grabbed at the bags in the back seat, securing the necessary supplies first before hastily rummaging around the weapons pack, pulling out a laser rifle, ammo bandolier and a few plasma grenades before his overwrought instinct for survival at last took hold over him and prompted him to dash out of the smoldering ship with as much speed as he could possibly muster. Catching up with Cream and Cheese, he didn't even have time to say something to her before the explosion of his ship rang throughout the open plains, the impact causing him to trip up and stumble forward into the dirt as his ears rung.

His vision blurred, and his ears still rang as his sense of direction was obliterated. He could see a cream colored blob before him with a bluish blob floating about, the sound of gibberish in his ear as a nagging sensation of familiarity ate at him.

Soon the blurs gained definition, the sounds became rational, and recognition returned to Chris as Cream held onto him, trying to get his attention as tears streamed down her face. "Chris! Chris! Are you alright? Please, say something Chris!" she cried out, Cheese floating around and frantically chirping. Chris turned his head so that he could face them better, and Cream responded by wrapping her arms around him in a frightful hug. "You're okay, you're okay!"

"Not so sure about that," Chris murmured with a groan, but managed to crack a smile. "But… I'm alive… so that's a plus," he chuckled weakly, then hissed in pain as he started to get up on his feet, Cream holding onto him in a feeble effort to steady him.

"Careful!" She then frowned. "Chris, you're hurt… you shouldn't be trying to move," she pointed out softly, sniffling a bit as she wiped her eyes clean of the tears. Chris wobbled as he got to his feet, rubbing his head and wishing he'd kept his helmet during the previous chaos.

"I've been through worse, I'll be fine," Chris stated as he picked up the supply bag, looking over sadly at the wrecked remains of his ship. "Can't say the same about The Deliverance, though," he sighed out, feeling a pang of loss at seeing his ship reduced to nothing but a smoldering wreck. All that effort and it hadn't even lasted him a month… thankfully he managed to snap out of his melancholy, a determined look setting in his face. "And we'll be in similar straits if we stick around here," he stated firmly as he turned around and started to head out. "Come on, we've got to get moving."

Cream blinked and was soon following after him frantically. "But shouldn't you rest?" she piped up as she walked by his side, Cheese hovering behind her. "You've been hurt, it can't be good for you to keep moving like this."

"It probably isn't good for me," Chris conceded with a grunt of effort as he trod along, "But we don't have much of a choice, there'll be an alert now that that Stealth-Bot's been taken out of commission and if we don't make ourselves scarce we're going to be up to our necks in Swatbots," he informed her severely. Cream's eyes widened, and she said nothing more. Over the course of several hours they would travel, until the sun had gone down and night fell over the plains, an uncomfortable silence hanging in the air over the course of their journey before Chris would finally stop. "Okay… okay, here, here we will rest," he panted out as he dropped to his knees, wiping his brow free of sweat while Cream let out a relieved sigh and promptly fell down upon her rear, letting go of her bag at long last.

"Okay…" she murmured as she took Chris' helmet off and looked up at him uncertainly. "Chris… what are we gonna do now?" she asked in a small voice. Chris looked down at her for a moment, debating what to say before smiling softly.

"Well, for now we're going to set up a camp and get some rest," he explained as he set aside the supply bag and started to unpack it. "Beyond this though? We proceed with the plan… it's the best we can do at the moment really."

"But…but how will we get to the Great Forest without your ship?" Cream piped up as she looked over to him curiously, Cheese sitting by her side and resting against her. "It still seems like an awful long ways away from here."

"It is, but we can still make it on foot. We'll be able to get there within a few days maybe and after that it'll be smooth sailing, relatively speaking," he murmured as he pulled out a lighter and some blankets. "Provided we're careful, we'll still be able to make it."

Cream's demeanor didn't lighten from Chris' own seeming optimism. She frowned lightly and pulled Cheese close to her. "Where will you go, then?" she asked softly, causing Chris to pause for a moment. He winced, knowing this was going to be difficult no matter what he said.

"I'll think of something," he murmured with a heavy sigh, then looked to her with a confident smile that didn't seem to fool Cream for a moment. "I'm used to looking out for myself. I'll just make do as best I can when the time comes. For now though, what matters is finding a home for you." With that he got to his feet and started to walk about, gathering stray sticks and rocks where he could find them. Brow raised, Cheese floated out of Cream's grasp and decided to aid the human in gathering up materials for a fire. Once enough had been collected, Chris set about making a small but efficient fire-pit, lighting the night and providing the beleaguered group some light. Keeping close to the rabbit and Chao, Chris took a moment to look upon the stars, once more transfixed by how beautiful they were.

"What're you thinking about, Chris?" Cream asked suddenly, snapping him out of his somewhat spaced out state with a blink.

"Oh, just that the stars look nice," he chuckled, looking down at her sheepishly. "Back home was pretty polluted even before the robot factories started to really choke the life out of the skies, so before heading out here it'd been years before I'd ever seen stars as clearly as these. I rather like them," he explained as he returned his gaze to the celestial lights that decorated the heavens above. Cream soon craned her own neck up to observe the stars alongside her human companion, Cheese following suit soon after.

"Do you know the constellations?" she asked idly.

"Well… no, actually," Chris confessed, perhaps a bit embarrassed. "I know the North Star, but growing up it wasn't exactly a priority to know all the constellations so… no, I'm afraid I really don't know much about them."

"Well, I could show you a few," Cream offered up with a smile, Cheese nodding his head eagerly up at the human, who simply smiled in bemusement.

"Really now?"

"Oh yes!" Cream nodded. "I don't know all of them, but my mommy taught me a few, and I can show you those at least."

"What the heck, might as well," Chris chuckled. It wasn't like he or she had much else to do tonight save try and not freeze to death. "I'm all ears."

Beaming, Cream first pointed to a bright collection of stars that were a fair distance from the North Star. "That's the Herne, the Hunter; he's with his dogs, chasing his prey through an endless forest in the wild hunt. Those top four stars are his horns, the three underneath them are his body, and the five to the left side are his hounds helping his hunt," she explained cheerfully. Chris looked to the cluster of stars, trying to picture the image described by Cream… he was failing miserably and reaching the conclusion that perhaps the people who made these things were very, VERY desperate for entertainment. All the same, he humored Cream with a grateful smile.

"Heh, no kidding? I never noticed," he chuckled. Enthused by his response, she continued on with gusto, pointing to clusters of stars that appeared shapeless to Chris, save perhaps for a few variations in the intensity of their shine.

"That one is Sethlens the Blacksmith, always making something new in his forge," she stated eagerly, her finger dashing to point out every constellation that she could remember at the moment. "And over there is Illumina, the keeper of dreams, watching over everyone as they sleep." Chris gave a wry look to that particular constellation, recalling the numerous less-than-pleasant dreams he'd had the last few years.

_Dropped the ball a few dozen times with me, didn't ya?_ Chris thought to himself sardonically, though of course he didn't make any of it known, instead giving Cream a soft smile. "Sounds like there's quite a collection of people up there… I wish I could tell you about the constellations of Overland, but I never really had much of a chance to learn them," he smiled down, perhaps a bit apologetically. Though mostly un-convinced of the images the constellations were professed to have, he felt a small pang of embarrassment at not knowing any of the stars beyond the one that had been deemed as most essential to survival. He felt like he was missing something simple yet vital in this ignorance of his own culture and heritage.

Cream just kept her winning smile. "Don't be. You told me the story about the Selfish Giant, it's only fair that I teach you about the stars," she nodded, causing Cheese to bleat out a few of his trademarked calls as he too smiled, prompting a giggle from Cheese.

Chris had to raise a brow. "What did he say exactly?"

"Nothing," Cream grinned, causing no favors to be done for Chris's suspicions regarding the blue aberration she called a friend. Chris simply smirked.

"Okay, have it your way little lady, but I'm going to figure out what he's saying one way or the other," he then gave a devious grin. "I might have to interrogate you. Tickle the info out of you," he sniggered, waving his fingers at her and prompting a small cry of shock from the rabbit girl.

"You wouldn't dare!" she cried out, eyes wide as she gazed up sharply at her friend. Chris had another soft chuckle as he lowered his hands.

"You're quite right, I really wouldn't," he assured her, giving her a pat on the head. "Though if you keep being a little smart-aleck, I just might be tempted into it," he teased, getting a mock pout from the young rabbit. The look, absurdly comical to Chris, caused him to laugh out loud… only for his laughter to end sharply when the sound of a loud wolves howl split the air, causing the hair on his neck to stand on end and Cream to go stock still, eyes wide with fright.

"W-What was that?" she asked nervously, pressing herself to Chris as she held onto Cheese tight, the small Chao shivering and looking around fearfully.

"Wolves," Chris murmured, grabbing his rifle and getting to his feet, eyes darting around the darkness for signs of movement. "Cream, keep a hold of Cheese and stay close to the fire, and don't move until I say so," he stated seriously as he charged up the rifle, steeling his nerves as he prepared for the possibility of an attack. While it was certainly possible that the howl had come from a non-sentient wild wolf, he could not afford the chance that it had come from a group of Mobian wolves. Back at the base he'd heard talk from some of the veterans of the Great War who'd fought against the wolf packs; they noted that before an attack the wolves would often let loose a howl to rattle enemy troops before striking, a tactic that on paper would seem ludicrous yet in practice seemed to only demonstrate the utter ferocity displayed by that particular breed of Mobian. Many a human soldier learned to dread that baleful noise, and in the pit of his stomach Chris was starting to understand that sensation.

Cream's next few words did not help one bit.

"I can hear them," she whispered fretfully, clutching Cheese tighter as her ears lifted slightly, and Chris turned his head to look to her in astonishment.

"What?"

"They're all around us, they walk softly, but I can still hear them coming," she squeaked out as she shut her eyes tight and hugged Cheese to her ever tighter, the both of them shivering at the menace that only she could be aware of.

_Bless your rabbit ears, girl,_ Chris thought to himself before raising his rifle again and pointing forward, his face becoming a mask of grim resolve. "Hear me now, whoever you are; I don't want any trouble, but I know how to use this and if you come any closer I will, you hear me?" he bellowed out. There was no answer to his defiant cry, and this caused Chris' nerves to fray even more. "Show yourselves dammit!" he demanded, looking around warily for even the faintest hint of movement that he could. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was chiding himself for letting his emotions run wild, while another part of him pointed out very bluntly that Cream's life was in danger and as such he was right to be just a little bit erratic.

It was then that he'd get his answer; a lasso shot out from the shadows, the hoop wrapping itself around his rifle and a sudden, harsh grip jerking his gun right out of his hands and into the shadows. Stunned by this development, he stepped back closer to Cream, and before his eyes he could see them start to materialize from the shadows; several figures, shorter then himself and covered in fur with canine features… wolves, every last one of them. There were six of them in total; an older brown furred wolf (who now held his rifle, he noted with a frown), a wiry wolf with orange tinted fur, a pair of pink females who looked identical save for the color of their clothes, an absolutely enormous blue furred male at the back, and at the front of the group was a statuesque grey female with a scar on her cheek, a spear in her hand. She gazed at him intensely, and for a moment Chris felt himself cringe back in intimidation before he found his footing and glared back at her. He considered his options, running scenarios through his head as to how fast he could reach his sidearm or his knife, and how much luck he might have taking the entire lot of them on even if they had access to his rifle and outnumbered him a fair margin. He fidgeted slightly, concern for where Cream might fall in any of imagined outcomes, causing him to betray his thoughts through body language. The orange wolf, perhaps sensing weakness, pinned his ears against his head and growled slightly as he began to move forward, only to be halted by a wave of the leader's spear.

"Stay your hand, Reynard," she commanded sharply before returning her attention to Chris, Cream now holding onto his leg and peeking at the imposing lupine group fearfully while Cheese did similar to her. "You would be wise to do similar overlander, for we mean you no harm," she stated plainly as she similarly guessed at his intent, though the tone of her voice and the look in her eyes told Chris that this woman would have no problem resorting to violence if needed; everything about this wolf spoke of business. Still, some prideful part of Chris refused to be cowed so easily.

"You'll forgive me if I'm not all that convinced; why didn't you just announce yourselves rather than steal from me?" he demanded.

"You are still an overlander, and armed like that there was little way for us to trust you," she explained patiently. "But if you need proof of my words, very well… return his weapon to him, Diablo," she nodded to the older male. The aforementioned Diablo raised his brow, while Reynard's jaw dropped open in an incredulous shock, doubly so when Diablo slowly began to approach Chris. Placing the gun on the ground he would soon back away, not taking his eyes off Chris for an instant, Chris returning the favor with a harsh glare. Not wasting a moment, Chris dashed forward and snatched up the rifle and backed away, eying the group warily. The wolves shifted, looking ready to try something, but Lupe by contrast seemed quite calm. Cream also looked up at him fearfully, her expression mirrored in Cheese's own as the tension grew nearly unbearable. Looking to the rifle, then to Cream and back to the wolves, Chris let out a sigh before powering down the weapon and lowering it.

"Alright then… who are you people, and why are you here?" he asked warily.

"I am Lupe, leader of the Wolf Pack Freedom Fighters," the grey wolf announced, her statement causing Cream's expression of fear to vanish into one of astonishment.

"Freedom Fighter? Chris, she's a freedom fighter!" the young rabbit announced eagerly, tugging at his leg before pointing the group, turning her eyes upon the wolves, "Chris is a freedom fighter too you know!"

Lupe gave a bemused smile towards the youngster, while Chris felt his face flush in mild embarrassment… any attempt he may have made to seem imposing to this lot had just been shot right to hell, and he looked down to Cream with a patient smile. "Yes Cream, I heard her," he nodded to her and returned his gaze to the group. "And as Cream stated, I guess I am what you would call a Freedom Fighter as well," he sighed out. Reynard let out a derisive snort, rolling his eyes in disdain.

"Pft, yeah, right," he growled out, fixing Chris with a suspicious glare. "What's an overlander 'freedom fighter' doing out here then? And with a Mobian kid no less?" he sneered, before pointing a finger towards Cheese. "And what the hell is that thing supposed to be?" Cheese gave an indignant cry over the wolf's words and seemed to glare at him, while Chris glowered at the wolf, only just managing to exert enough self-control to answer him with even a small amount of civility. Before he could speak, Cream marched forward from her hiding spot with her hands to her hips and was now glowering up at the wolf reproachfully.

"He's not a 'thing', he's a Chao! And he has a name, its Cheese!" she wagged her finger at Reynard, causing him to blink in surprise at the girl's audacity while Cheese simply nodded his head, stubby little arms crossed over his chest and nodding in agreement with Cream. Chris gave a small chuckle at that before returning his attention to the wolf, a triumphant smirk on his face at seeing him so abashed thanks to the girl.

"Well, that's one question answered," he chuckled, before regaining his composure and looking sternly toward the wolves. "As for the other, I have my reasons. All you need to know is that I'm not in these plains entirely by choice, and was looking for a home for these two before we ended up detoured here," he glanced down to Cream and Cheese in emphasis before looking back to the wolves. "Though it seems my search has ended sooner then I'd thought. You'd be able to take them in, wouldn't you?" he asked hopefully, not taking notice of the somewhat disappointed expression on Cream's face. Lupe let out a sigh as she looked levelly at the two.

"Where we make our base is dangerous, not suited for youngsters… but I do know where she could go," Lupe informed them before looking around suspiciously. "It is not safe to be out here. Come with us, and I will explain further," she nodded.

Chris regarded her warily. There was much about this situation that seemed suspicious to him, but what choice did he have? If he didn't comply they could just as easily kill him and take Cream and Cheese, and that would be the end of it. "Alright, just give me a second to get my supplies."

"That won't be necessary," Lupe chuckled. "Canus, if you could be so kind?"

"Already on it," Canus nodded as he trudged towards the camp, passing Chris by as he fetched the bags and began to kick dirt upon the fire and extinguish it. Up close Chris was given a new appreciation for just how massive the fellow was; he came up to Chris' chin, and his sheer bulk suggested he might weigh over fifty pounds more than himself. Definitely not someone Chris wanted to get on the bad side of, that was for certain. Chris scratched the back of his head, raising his brow.

"Uh… well, that's awfully polite of you, but really, there's no need-"

"Trust me, there will be," Canus interrupted with a chuckle as he lumbered past Chris and Cream, though Cheese's curiosity prompted him to float on after the wolf. If he took any notice of the Chao, he didn't give any sign of it.

"What does he mean by that, then?" Chris asked, raising a suspicious brow. Reynard smirked and soon provided Chris with an answer.

"You're going to be blindfolded, overlander. Can't risk you knowing your way through to our hideout, now can we?" he piped up, his obvious glee at the idea prompting a disapproving look from both Diablo AND Lupe. Chris didn't care much for the wolf's tone, but before he could voice any grievances he might've had, Lupe's commanding voice cut in.

"Reynard is correct. The rest of my pack would not appreciate an overlander potentially knowing the way to our base, so from this point on you must be blindfolded," she stated seriously. "It's not ideal, but it's the best way to keep you safe from any of my packs more… impetuous members."

Not for the first time, Chris found himself sighing in resignation. "Haven't got much choice, do I?" he stated, slumping over in defeat slightly, an act that prompted a chuckle from the she-wolf and a giggle from Cream.

"Do not worry; your guides are more than suited for the task."

"Wait, guides?" Chris asked, brow raised once more as he emphasized the plural.

"That would be us," piped up one of the pink twins, this one clad in green leotard while the other was clad in blue. Before Chris could respond, the two wolves leapt into the air, acrobatically timing their leaps and bounds as they made their way towards him, and within moments the two were in front of him, the green clad she-wolf resting upon her sister's shoulders to approximate a more equal height when compared to him. "I'm Leeta," the green clad announced, grinning brightly at Chris' astonished expression.

"And I'm Lyco," the blue clad one elaborated, smirking up at the human as Leeta pulled out a strap of material from her belt pouch. "Think of us as your seeing eye dogs, if it helps," she quipped, her tone halfway between jocular and biting. Chris glowered down at her flatly even as his eyes were covered up courtesy of Leeta. He cut back the urge to snap back at her and instead gave a neutral grunt, while Cream let out a giggle as Leetah removed herself from her sister's shoulders, the both of them taking Chris his hands.

"Just be careful and trust us, and you'll be fine," Leeta piped up, while Lyco simply chuckled.

"Lighten up, we're not in the habit of tormenting the blind," she teased, something that somehow made Chris feel even less sure of the entire scenario then he already was. Unseen by Chris, Diablo raised a hand to his mouth and gave a deliberate cough.

"If we are done with introductions, I suggest we get going before one of the Eggman's nightly patrols stumbles upon us," Diablo spoke up at last, face calm and serious as ever, Lupe nodding in agreement to the older wolf's words.

"Right, as Diablo said, it's time to get a move on," Lupe nodded direly, turning around and waving the others over to follow. With little choice in the matter Chris complied as best as he could with the path Lyco and Leeta set him on, visibly nervous as he was lead around by the wolf twins, following after the rest of the lupine Freedom Fighters as they began their journey into the night. Cream hurried over to the camp site to pick up her bag and dash back to Chris, staying close to his side while Cheese simply hovered along and curiously observed their apparent newfound friends, Chris doing his best to walk the direction the wolves wanted him to under these conditions. He flinched a bit when he felt a pair of small hands rest upon the small of his back, and fought the urge to blush. While they were undoubtedly doing this to make guiding him along the way easier, it still felt uncomfortably intrusive to Chris… and that wasn't even getting into the fact there was a blindfold involved in this (at the moment he damned the soldiers and their bawdy tales back at the base for giving him the ability to see the innuendo of this situation).

As time passed during the journey, he began to contemplate the current scenario, a mental frown forming as he allowed survival instinct to kick in and grant him the gift of suspicion. Something about this pack did not sit well with him; while he and Cream had been treated decently (well, decently enough in Chris' case), it struck him as odd that they'd be so relatively nonchalant about him and the fact that he was travelling alone with Cream. If the situation had been reversed, he KNEW he'd have responded far worse than they, if he'd caught a Mobian traveling with a lone human child. And then there was the fact they were so relatively unarmed and unprotected, considering that they seemed to be long aware of him before he or Cream had become aware of them… much about them didn't add up, and it bothered him greatly.

For the moment he kept his silence, both for the fact that he was completely at their mercy and for the fact he didn't want to ruin Cream's chances at finding a permanent home for her, but inside he knew there was something deeply off-putting about this entire set up. Though Lupe seemed a forthright enough individual, her words were cryptic to him and her motivations difficult for him to guess… however, he was in absolutely no position to make inquiries or voice his suspicions. All he could do for now was wait… and hope that when he, Cream and Cheese arrived at their destination that fate wouldn't choose that precise moment to drop the other shoe down upon them.


	9. Revelation

**Disclaimer: **Surprise surprise, I'm not dead! Though college is draining my life away not unlike some vampiric horror, but what else is new? Well actually, this chapter is new, and in more ways than one; it's the first chapter to be Beta-Read, and thus made better then what it was initially. Many kudos to Quicksilver, it is because of him that this chapter is now ready. Anyway, aside from all that, the usual disclaimer: This is all the property of Archie, DIC and SEGA, I am doing this for fun, not profit, and claim nothing here as my own creation. It's just a stupid little story made on a whim, and besides that, I have nothing worth suing over.

**A Difficult Road Traveled**

**Chapter Nine: Revelation**

Chris wasn't sure how much time had been spent travelling with the wolves. Thanks to his being blindfolded all that he had to tell the time by was the sounds of casual conversation being held within the motley group, mostly courtesy of an inquisitive Cream. To him the journey seemed to be lasting roughly an eternity. Despite his initial hesitance at the idea, he discovered the wolf twins Leeta and Lyco to be more then suited for the task of guiding him across the land. They'd carefully maneuvered him around obstacles and kept him from tripping up over any possible debris. It'd helped to sooth his embarrassment a bit, even in the face of Cream and Cheese's giggling. Eventually the group halted, and Chris was delighted to discover that he would have the blindfold removed.

"At this point there is little need for you to be kept in the dark," Lupe remarked dryly. She then snapped her fingers. Chris felt Lyco and Leeta's hands leave his person at long last, and soon after the material obscuring his eyes was slid off courtesy of Canus. Chris rubbed at his eyes as they adjusted, blinking a bit as he got a good look at their new surroundings - a spacious cavern, lit up only by torchlight. Cream was beaming up towards him as Cheese floated by her side, a similar expression on his face, and for a moment Chris allowed himself to drop the guarded feeling during the journey.

The feeling lasted up until Reynard opened his mouth. "This is crazy," the orange furred wolf snorted before crossing his arms. He glared at Chris as he continued. "The rest of the pack is going to think you've lost your mind with this one, Lupe. You can't honestly believe that they're going to let an Overlander of all things run loose in the cavern," he scoffed. He narrowed his eyes at Chris, who returned it with a stern glare of his own, backed up by the unintentionally adorable pouts of Cream and Cheese. Reynard wasn't impressed and snorted a final time. "They'll see him as the danger he really is."

"Indeed? An unarmed boy alone in the middle of our pack's territory with no idea how to leave poses SUCH an intense threat to our security," Diablo drawled out sardonically, prompting a giggle from Cream and a smug smirk from Cheese. Reynard growled to the older wolf, hackles raised by the insult, and he rounded on the older wolf, teeth bared.

"You listen here you old-!"

"Simmer down, Reynard," Lupe's voice was calm, but held an authoritative and steely edge that could not be denied. "The both of you present fine points, and for that reason the both of you will accompany me while I explain to the rest of the pack the circumstances behind our new guests." There was a meaningful silence as she faced them with a raised brow.

"Unless you're both certain you can behave yourselves while I am gone?" She asked with a raised brow. A look of annoyance appeared on Reynard's face, followed by a sigh of reproach from Diablo. The both of them began to walk toward her. "Good." With that, she nodded, and then turned her attention to the others. "The rest of you remain here until we're through."

She left wordlessly with the two males, heading out through a nearby tunnel, leaving Chris, Cream and Cheese to enjoy the company of Canus and the twins. Cream frowned as she sat down on a convenient rock.

"I don't think I like Mr. Reynard very much," she stated out loud, Cheese nodding in agreement as he lounged by her side.

"How do you think *I* feel?" Chris quipped, though privately he didn't exactly blame the wolf for his suspicious attitude, given the history between humans and Mobians. Not that it still wasn't irritating as hell, especially considering that he'd saved Cream and Cheese from that desolate ghost town.

"Similar to how most of us feel really," Lyco piped up from her spot.

"He's a bit of a pain in the tail even here, really," Leetah nodded in agreement with her twin, prompting a raised brow from Chris.

"That being the case, why-?"

"Why is he a part of this pack?" Canus stated in a gravelly voice. The massive blue wolf was sitting down with his legs crossed after setting the bags down, looking not so much like a wolf but as a serene statue. "It is true, he is disagreeable and hot-tempered, and at times he seems to pick fights," he conceded, before giving them all a rather firm look as he continued speaking. "However, he has his place here, as do we all… Reynard isn't the friendliest, but he can see at the heart of a problem better than most, and Lupe appreciates his caution, and his courage to challenge her directly."

"Does he have to be so grumpy about it though?" Cream asked inquisitively. Canus let out a soft chuckle.

"True, it would be nice if he could be a bit less confrontational, perhaps," the big wolf conceded, smiling courteously.

"Huh? He's always like that, then?" Chris noted, strangely comforted that he wasn't being singled out.

"More then you know," Lyco drawled with a long suffering sigh. Cream looked to her curiously, her head cocked in curiosity.

"So why is he so mean?"

"He's not so much mean as he is angry a lot of the time," Leeta pointed out thoughtfully. "I always figured it was because of his fur."

That one threw Chris for a bit of a loop. "His…fur?" he asked incredulously. "What does his fur have to do with anything? Am I missing something here?"

"What, are you blind?" Lyco quipped dryly. "He has RED fur."

"And you have pink fur, and the big guy has blue," Chris jabbed a thumb over to Canus. "Is there some kind of special significance to orange you guys have?" His baffled face seemed to amuse Leeta, but Lyco let out an aggravated groan and rubbed her face.

"Okay, Overlander, think very carefully… what race of Canid mobian has red fur as well?" she asked slowly, as if he'd taken a series of blows to the head in the past few seconds.

"Foxes?" Cream answered before Chris could speak. Leeta nodded her approval to the youth, and gave a decidedly ironic looking smile to the unsuspecting human as she continued on. Chris frowned, vaguely annoyed by the fact he'd been outpaced by a young girl roughly a third his age.

"Very good, foxes also tend to have red fur. And do you know what 'Reynard' means, hmm?" she kept up her annoyed tone, much to Chris's irritation. However, as he considered the implications, his eyes widened in shock.

"He was named 'Fox' because he has red fur?" Chris spouted out , incredulous. Cream set her hand to her mouth, startled by Chris's shout and the thought of someone being named in such a fashion.

"Pretty much," Leeta nodded. "At least that's what Canus tells us; he's known Reynard longer then us," the pink she-wolf shrugged.

"Thank the Great Spirits," Lyco muttered dryly, leaving Chris contemplating this new sociological world he'd uncovered. His talks with Cream had opened him up to the existence of inter-species racism amongst the Mobians, but this was a whole new perspective to swallow. What kind of parent would name their kid based on their fur? He felt a strange feeling of sympathy towards Reynard, not quite knowing why. Cream's ears drooped a little and she bowed her head slightly, a guilty look on her face.

"Poor Mr. Reynard… why would his parents give him a name like that?" she looked up to Canus quizzically. The large wolf's expression betrayed as distinct sort of discomfort; the kind anyone who'd ever had to inform a young child of an ugly truth would be all too familiar with.

"It's not my place to explain that, and it isn't something Reynard himself would be fond of explaining," Canus stated gravely. Cream's ears drooped, quite clearly getting the message. Cheese gave her shoulder a comforting pat while glaring daggers at Canus, who gave a sheepish shrug in response to the Chao's accusing stare.

An awkward silence followed, which Chris always hated. "So," he started off casually, "You and Reynard go back then, Canus?" Canus seemingly hated awkward silences as much as he did, and gave a confirming nod before answering.

"Yes, we both grew up in the same pack. Been friends ever since we were cubs," Canus chuckled. "Not an easy task by any means, I can tell you that much."

Chris was somewhat astounded to know that the laid back giant was a lifelong friend to someone like Reynard, though in retrospect he found himself thankful for the fact. Reynard seemed irritable enough as it was and perhaps Canus one of the reasons he wasn't even more of a pain in the ass. "I can only imagine," Chris remarked wryly before looking over to the twins. "And you?"

"Oh, we're not from this pack," Leeta answered. "My sister and I were orphaned after Robotnik began to expand into our people's lands… we escaped, and Lupe took us in," she sighed out sadly, Lyco giving a sympathetic frown as she placed a hand to her sister's shoulder. Chris himself could easily empathize… those two likely weren't much older than he had been when his own world had come tumbling down around him. Leeta then looked to him quizzically. "What about you, Chris?"

"Me?" Chris blinked. Leeta gave an amused giggle while Lyco simply rolled her eyes, though a smirk was evident on her face.

"We've told you a bit about us; so, what's the gist of your story?" Leeta elaborated. "How did you end up with Cream, anyway?"

"He found us," Cream spoke up with a smile. "Our village had been attacked by bad mobians and they took everyone, but Chris found us and saved us," she explained eagerly, Cheese chirping along in concert with her. The Chao even decided to emphasize his feelings on the matter by floating over to Chris and giving him an appreciative hug on the arm, prompting a somewhat embarrassed chuckle from the human.

"Okay, I have to ask, just… what the heck IS Cheese?" Lyco asked, eying the floating blue wonder with a cautious curiosity.

"I confess, that one has been on my mind as well," Canus said in accordance. Seeing their confusion prompted a bit of good humored laughter from Chris.

"I'm still not entirely sure myself; he's something called a Chao, and he's from the jungles down south. Other than that, I don't know much about him really," the human explained as Cheese floated on back towards Cream, giving her a cuddle, one that was eagerly returned by the rabbit… until she turned stock still, her left ear perking up some.

"Oh dear… I hear a lot of yelling," she said in a somewhat frightened tone. Leeta frowned and walked over to the youngster and placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a comforting smile.

"It's alright honey. Lupe's just trying to get the other's to see Chris as not being a bad guy. She's our chief, and they'll see things her way soon enough," she said soothingly to the younger girl.

"Are you sure it will be okay?" Cream asked in a small voice. "Some of them sound like they won't be happy until Chris leaves here…"

"Trust us, it's all talk," Lyco spoke up in an assuring tone. "She's the chief, what she says goes, and nobody out there is dumb enough to try and challenge her for her position."

The words seemed to work, Cream looking more relaxed before them and now smiling softly. "Okay, it's just… I don't like it when grown-ups yell at each other," the girl murmured, holding Cheese tight and cuddling him in a somewhat therapeutic fashion. Chris gave her a gentle smile, walking over and kneeling down to place a hand to her shoulder.

"Yeah, most grown-ups don't appreciate it either. Chin up, Cream, things will be fine," Chris said in an encouraging voice. 'For you, anyway,' he added mentally. His words and tone seemed to have a positive effect on the young rabbit, and she smiled back at him before her ears perked again.

"Oop, they're coming back!" she yelled out, turning her head to face the tunnel that Lupe had exited through, and sure enough she returned out from the shadows, Diablo and Reynard in tow. The red furred wolf looked as surly as ever. Seeing the chieftess return with the two other wolves, Chris stood, meeting her with a level gaze.

"So... we're good to go?" he asked cautiously.

"That would largely depend on your definition of 'good'," Lupe remarked dryly. "Cream will be left alone, of that there is no doubt. You however… I have given them my orders and for the most part they will obey me, for I am their chief," she stated firmly before letting out a tired sigh. "However, I would not tread lightly where I you."

"I kind of figured it would be that way," Chris sighed out. "Thanks anyway for taking us in."

"You are welcome… however, there are a few things I would discuss with you, in private," Lupe nodded, a no-nonsense expression on her hard-featured face. "Lyco and Leeta will show Cream to where you three will be staying for the duration, and once we're done with our talk you will join her."

The young girl looked about ready to protest before Chris looked over to her. "It'll be fine, I promise," Chris stated soothingly, and Cream backed down while Cheese chirped up at him curiously. Chris paused for a moment, sensing all eyes on him, but leaned down further towards Cheese anyways. "I promise the both of you," he chuckled, prompting a somewhat perplexed look from the wolves present. Upon noticing this, Chris gave a somewhat embarrassed smile and a small shrug. "I… think I can understand Cheese, at some level," he explained, causing Cheese to roll his eyes and Cream to giggle softly.

Snapping herself out of the somewhat undignified moment, Lupe once more regained her composure. "Well then, flying blue thing whisperer, we'd best be heading off." With that, she waved him over and turned around to once more head out of the tunnel, Chris hastily following after her. An unsettling wave hit him as they headed closer to the other end of the tunnel. He was about be surrounded by wolves, most of who probably wanted to kill him. Even if he was under the protection of their chief. Needless to say, he wasn't sure how safe he really was. The two entered into the main hall of the wolves; a large, circular fire pit dominated the center, and all around where wolves of varying ages, sizes and genders.

Naturally, all of them were staring intently at him.

Some were curious, some frightened, but most were simply hostile, in particular a large, powerfully built white wolf in a purple vest, smaller then Canus but larger than most of the other wolves who glared at him with a bone chilling amount of malice. Worse than the looks though, was the silence. Not one of the wolves present spoke or did much of anything, and their silence only intensified the deep and intense anxiety growing in the pit of Chris' stomach. He tried to distract himself by focusing upon paintings that where upon the wall, a visual history and collection of myths and legends that Chris could not even begin to understand. The amateur attempt at archeology only did a little to help as he crossed the seemingly eternal threshold behind Lupe, heading through a dimly lit tunnel. Unable to take the silence much longer, he decided to voice his feelings of the situation.

"I'm not going to last the night, am I?" he said in a gloomy tone, though Lupe managed a chuckle.

"You underestimate my people's loyalty to me; it overrides whatever desire they may have to put an end to you," she stated confidently, though a thoughtful look came across her scarred face. "Though their loyalty to me alone won't be enough to stop some of them from trying to harm you, I admit."

"That's... comforting," Chris muttered sardonically. They came across a small cavern at the end of the tunnel, one covered by an animal hide with esoteric symbols dyed onto it.

"Unfortunately, it is all you can hope for at the moment," Lupe stated neutrally as she entered, Chris following after her into the darkness. There was a clicking sound, followed by light as a small fire was ignited in a pit in the center of the room. Chris' eyes took a moment to adjust to the sudden illumination, though once he was able to properly see, he observed that the interior of the room was rather humble. He did not know what was considered luxury to the wolves, but somehow he doubted Lupe's room was it… an admirable quality. The she-wolf was sitting near the fire, legs crossed as she gazed up at Chris. "Sit, and we shall talk," she motioned to a position opposite from her, Chris soon sitting in it with his own legs crossed.

"Well, I'm sitting… what is it exactly that you want to talk about?" Chris asked her carefully, suppressing his own urge to demand answers from her for the questions he himself had regarding her utter lack of surprise towards him and Cream.

"The girl, Cream… how did you come to be with her and her odd companion?" Lupe asked carefully, eyes staring intently at Chris. Chris let out a sigh.

"Well, the story behind that is a bit longer than what I told you back at the camp," he admitted, and took in a breath to tell the tale. He told her of his trek from Metroside City and through the forbidden zone, leaving out his reasons for leaving of course. He spoke as honestly as he dared of finding Cream's village and how he'd come across her and Cheese and of his promise to find her a home. Throughout the tale, Lupe's expression did not waver once, and by the time he was finished she had a hand upon her chin and a contemplative expression on her weathered face.

"Interesting. A remarkable tale as any I have heard," she murmured. "That was a rather generous offer you made to them, saying you would find a home for them," she nodded in approval. Chris blushed.

"Yeah, whatever I was expecting when first meeting Mobians, Cream wasn't one of them. I couldn't just leave her and Cheese," he murmured before regaining his composure. "Okay, fair's fair; I answered your questions, and I'd appreciate it if you could answer mine hopefully."

"An acceptable enough arrangement," Lupe conceded. "Ask away?"

Chris took in a breath, not sure what might come of his question, but curiosity burning him to an almost agonizing degree. "Why weren't you more startled by me being with Cream?"

Lupe's brow perked. "Startled?"

"Yeah, startled, shocked, wigged out," Chris frowned. "I know if I ever saw a Mobian traveling with a human kid I'd be just a tad unnerved by it, so why did you have such an easy time dealing with me being around her and taking my story at face value?" It felt somehow ungrateful to ask these things, but he still had to know. To his surprise, Lupe did not respond with anger; rather, she smiled.

"Very perceptive of you… under most circumstances, I may very well have attacked first and not bothered to ask questions after 'freeing' Cream from you," she stated shamelessly. "However, the answer to your question is two-fold. To begin with, I already knew of your existence."

THAT one threw Chris for a loop, and he blinked in response. "You… you knew about me? How?" he stuttered out, dumbfounded by the revelation, his mind reeling at the fact that the wolf chieftain had known about him this entire time.

Said wolf chieftain silently reached to the side, to a small bundle of blankets and reached in, pulling out a very familiar sight - a singed Swat-Bot head. "Several days ago, my scouts came across a scene of battle by a lake; two Swat-Bots destroyed, and no sign of the perpetrator. With this," she held the head before her for emphasis, "As the only salvageable evidence, they took it back to me, and from its memory logs we were able to witness the architect of its demise," She set the head down and looked Chris right in the eye, "You."

Chris snapped out of his shock, eyes widening as the memories snapped back in an instant. "Holy …" he murmured, astounded. "So… when you and your guys saw me fighting the Swats, you figured that even if I was a human…?".

Lupe nodded in affirmation. "Correct; Robotnik's evil does not discriminate, and I felt that it would be counterproductive to try and 'corral' you given that you were clearly no friend of the Egg Man," she growled out at the mention of Robotnik, and Chris could not stop a dark look from covering his face, his fists tightening in subdued rage before he forced himself back into a calm.

"Alright, so you knew I okay for the most part, but that still doesn't explain why you didn't freak out at the fact I was travelling with Cream and Cheese," he pointed out.

"Indeed, which brings my second reason; just as I knew of you, I also knew of her," Lupe announced, and at this Chris' jaw dropped. At this rate, her next revelation would likely cause his head to pop.

"You - you…? But how could…?"

"I confess, at some level I was still unsure, even with her scent, but your story of how you found her sealed the deal for me," Lupe explained before clearing her throat. "Allow me to explain; when you found Cream's village it had been raided two days prior, correct? The timing of your story coincides perfectly with a story of my own...

A day after Pinehaven village had been raided, my wolf pack and I assisted another group of Freedom Fighters in liberating Mobians captured by slave-traders heading for Robotropolis," she snarled a bit at the memory, sickened by the very concept.

"I know not what happens in your own lands, but there are loathsome Mobians among us who would gladly profit off the misery of others in these dark times and place their brothers at the mercy of the tyrant to keep his hunger for machines satiated and diverted from themselves…"

Chris blinked at the somewhat intense words before finding his voice. "I don't know much about what happened outside of Metroside City, but I wouldn't be THAT shocked to know if something similar happened back home…" he ventured cautiously.

Lupe shook her head, smiling apologetically. "You will have to pardon me for going on that tangent, it is a subject that is very taxing to my good nature. As I was saying though, we helped the Freedom Fighters to free the slaves and sabotage their operation. One of them was a Rabbit woman, weak from exhaustion, who rambled about having a daughter back at their village."

Chris' eyes widened as the pieces came together. It couldn't be, though… could it? "Wait… are you telling me-?"

"When coaxed she presented herself as Vanilla Rabeau," Lupe continued, cutting his question to the quick. "I recall her all too well, as well as her scent. She was dehydrated and half starved, delirious thanks to the wretched conditions she'd been kept in, but I distinctly remember her mentioning having a daughter who had evaded the slavers… a daughter named Cream," she gave him a meaningful look.

"Vanilla's alive? Cream's mom is alive?" Chris asked, astounded and feeling a glimmer of hope, which ignited into a flame at Lupe's nod.

"Yes, she is. Her ailments were not beyond help, and she was taken by the other Freedom Fighters to be nursed back to health, with one of their own offering to help find her daughter," Lupe explained further. "The moment I smelled Cream's scent upon the winds and saw her, I knew she was the same girl that Vanilla had spoken of, and seeing her with you allowed me to consider that she was in no danger from being in your company."

"Hence why you didn't just kill me and take her," Chris finished, and then beamed in excitement. "I don't believe it… she's alive! Vanilla is alive!" he laughed. "Oh lord, I've got to find Cream, I've got to tell her this!" He felt a sense of joy he'd not felt in quite some time, a wondrous feeling of happiness and relief at the realization that Cream would not suffer any kind of fate that he himself would. He started to stand up, only for Lupe to raise a hand that halted him in his tracks.

"Not so fast there, amigo," Lupe stated sternly. "I have answered your question, and I now have one last question to ask you."

Chris raised a brow at that. "Uh... sure. Okay," he shrugged as he remained rooted to the ground. "Go right ahead."

"What did you intend to do with yourself, if ever you did find a home for her?" Lupe's tone sounded rhetorical, but the steady look on her face told Chris she wanted to hear it straight from his mouth. Chris paused for a moment, staring at her with his brow furrowed. After what seemed like a time far longer than the actual amount spent, Chris spoke in a small voice.

"I…I would have continued on with my mission," he murmured.

"I see… and what prompted you to take this mission upon yourself? Do not think I did not notice your rather conspicuous lack of detail concerning what you were doing before you decided to build your ship and embark on this deadly mission of yours," she said sternly. Chris glowered at her, feeling his anger spike.

"What does that matter, so long as Cream is reunited with her mother and is safe?" He didn't remember gritting his teeth, and the words were terser than expected. Lupe seemed undeterred by the tense shift in demeanor and said nothing, simply looking at him patiently, expectantly…

It reminded him of how his grandfather would wordlessly pry the truth without any threat from him as a child. Under her scrutinizing gaze he felt that familiar burning feeling again, something he hadn't felt since youth. He lowered his head slightly, deflating a bit before her.

"It is clear she views you as she would a sibling, and I have no doubts that you feel similar," Lupe gently pried. "So why then would you abandon her in the name of a mission that would likely end in your death?"

Chris squeezed his eyes shut, his hands clutching into fists as he shook lightly. Across his mind, images of death and war danced across his mind and it took all he had to keep himself reasonably calm. "I… I have to make him pay," Chris said shakily. "I think I'm the last human alive on Mobius." His voice cracked slightly at the end.

Opening his eyes he looked up to her with a haunted expression, forcing himself reveal the horrible reality of his situation. "Back in Overland, my resistance cell fought a long war against Robotnik's forces stationed there, and we managed to wipe them out… and I was the only one to make it out alive," he explained, swallowing slightly as he did his best to force the memories down.

"I spent over a year, alone, trying to get in contact with anyone, anyone at all. No one responded, even while I was building the ship. I figured it had to be true, so I might as well give everything just to hurt him. Even if it meant my death," he sighed out, raising his head to face her directly. "I never intended to find Cream, but I knew she had a chance to have a real life even in the midst of all this awful crap. She has hope, and hope isn't something I have a lot of right now." He looked down again, his voice now breaking as he continued to speak. "A year… a whole year I stayed, in a forsaken base at the edge of a dead city. Do you know what that's like? To feel like everything around you is part of some awful nightmare, only instead of things getting better when you wake up they're even worse, because you didn't just dream it?"

Lupe let out a heavy, knowing sigh. "To a certain degree, yes I can," she said softly. "I cannot begin to imagine the extent of what you have experienced. I truly cannot, but I do not believe you should be so eager to abandon your hopes so readily," in that instant, the gentle sympathy of her voice and face returned to that of a steely kind of maternal wisdom. "You held out that doomed hope for a year without breaking. What has changed here?"

"What's changed is that Cream can have something in life I'll probably never get back. There are still Mobians and even if her mother wasn't around, God forbid, then she'd still have some place to go at least," Chris stonily replied. "I have nothing except the chance to spite Robotnik. I crossed the freaking Forbidden Zone to see it done. Being with Cream reminded me of everything I lost thanks to that goddamned bastard, and I'll be buried in pasha dung before I let him take away her innocence the way he did mine!" His eyes blazed in a righteous fury and his voice rose, and yet Lupe remained calm throughout his rant and waited for his own mood to cool off before speaking again.

"So you opted to locate other Mobians so that she might have a chance at something resembling normalcy… and you believe there is no room for you in this scenario?" She asked in a curious tone, her brow raised once more and her head cocking slightly.

"No offense ma'am, but who do you think you're kidding?" Chris sniped. "You spelled it out yourself that the only thing keeping your people from murdering me in my sleep is the fact that they won't go against their chieftain, and even then I'm not entirely safe. The bottom line is I'm a human, and no Mobian community is going to want me with them. Anyway, it doesn't matter, so long as Cream is alive and taken care of."

"She would be deeply unhappy with your absence, you realize," she pointed out. Chris groaned in response, feeling frustration boil up.

"Yes, I realize, I'm painfully aware of the fact that I'm going to end up breaking her heart, and I made sure she'd be aware of the fact," the human rubbed the bridge of his eyes, feeling a headache coming on. "I never pretended that it wouldn't end this way and never lied to her about that fact."

"You are so certain though that it would be impossible for you to have anything else in life other than your mission of revenge?" the she wolf challenged. "Are you so afraid of losing someone else that you would rather distance yourself instead of taking the chance at happiness and stability?"

Now Chris glared angrily at her. "Hey, where the hell do you get off judging me? I didn't have to save her you know, I didn't have to do anything; I don't owe her a thing you know, especially since her family is still alive and well. She doesn't need me."

"That is a lie and you know it!" Lupe's stern look backed up her harsh words. "She adores you; her defense of you is evidence enough, and I can see it in her eyes that she loves you like she would her own sibling. I am a mother myself and have taken in many cubs who had lost their homes thanks to Robotnik, and I know a bond when I see one. You cannot honestly expect me to believe that you truly think that she has no need for you, or you her." She gave a small, disdainful sniff. "I was never raised to think highly of overlanders, but you cannot expect me to believe you truly think your separation is for the best."

Chris felt rage piling up, making him almost ready to attack her. He forced himself to remain calm and not stand up to do something he'd regret. He closed his eyes and took a few calming breaths before letting his expression return to normal, cleared of the rage. Lupe settled in a movement almost imperceptible, but clearly joining him in his calm. "I've gotten used to not getting my hopes up. You don't know for sure that whoever has Cream's mom is going to just blithely accept me."

"You are correct, I do not know for certain… but from what I know of them, I can _trust_ them to not blindly drive you away," Lupe put an extra bit of meaning to the word 'trust' and gave Chris a similar look. "While I confess I may have reacted more harshly had I not known of you beforehand, the fact remains that I took you in rather than simply steal Cream from you and leave you dead in the plains. I will contact these Freedom Fighters and let them know what I know; whatever their feelings about you or your kind, that would at least mitigate things, and who knows; they may just surprise you," she gave a soft smile, while Chris let out a sigh and returned it with some reluctance.

"I still think this won't end well, but… well, it does sound like a better deal than waging a one man guerilla war against fatso," he confessed with a small chuckle, before steadying himself. "Alright, I'll go with her to this place… where are they, exactly?" he asked with a raised brow.

"They are hidden in the Great Forest, a secret location that only I and my most trusted wolves know of," Lupe informed him, and Chris couldn't help but laugh ironically.

"No kidding? I figured that there would be Mobians living there because of how vast it was… its where Cream and I were headed to begin with!" he sniggered. Well, at least no matter what would have happened, Cream would have ended up safe among her own at any rate.

"You will be pleased to know then that these Freedom Fighters are indeed housing her mother, and they even include a cousin of hers among their ranks already," Lupe smiled, before turning serious once more. "There is however one small detail you must be made aware of, if you are to join Cream and these Mobians."

_Here it comes_, Chris mentally quipped. "What's that then?"

"The leader of the Freedom Fighters is Princess Sally Alicia Acorn," Lupe grimly stated, and Chris stiffened in shock.

"What?"

"Please, hear me out-"

"Hear you out?" Chris snapped, all notions of respect and politeness temporarily leaving him. He'd been willing to put up with a lot of things, but not this. "Her father started the Great War and pretty much unleashed Robotnik on the world, and you're expecting me to keep cool about it? He… he's practically the reason my people may be dead!" he hollered in disbelief and anger.

"I'm perfectly aware of that," was the tense response of the she-wolf. "And you should be aware that the princess was only six years old when Robotnik took her father, her kingdom and her people from her, and besides those facts she has been leading the fight against Robotnik since she was twelve years old. Whatever your notions about her, I sincerely suggest you dispel them as of this moment, for I can promise you she is definitely NOT what you are thinking."

The human glowered, Lupe returned the expression, as his outrage pulsed through his shaking body. He struggled to understand her words, knowing how easy it would be to simply hate this princess. Forcing himself to remain calm for a second, it occurred to him that she was younger than he had been when she'd lost everything, as Lupe had said. Was it truly right to blame her for her father's follies? To hold a grudge that she was only vaguely connected to? And of course, there was the mild hypocrisy attached to holding a grudge; he himself resented the thought of Mobians treating him like some kind of savage based upon his species, he was in no position to judge the princess.

He felt himself simmering down enough to swallow his pride, and allowed himself to speak. "Okay." He took another deep breath before taking the plunge. "Okay, fine. For Cream's sake, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt." He sighed. "For Cream's sake..." He gritted his teeth before finishing, "I'll join her with these Freedom Fighters and see if I can't help them fight Robotnik. Everybody wins."

"Very good," Lupe announced. An awkward silence followed, before Chris spoke again apologetically.

"Look, I'm sorry if I seem… I don't know, confrontational? I'm just worrying about a million things at once. I truly am thankful for you taking Cream and I in, and for giving us the means to find her mother," he smiled to the older female. "My grandfather always did say I could be a bit hard-headed about things… how soon can Cream and I leave?"

"Hopefully tomorrow," Lupe stated evenly. "Last year the Freedom Fighters managed to set up a one-way electrical telegraph communication relay with their base; it's the quickest way for us to communicate with them at this distance and low tech enough that Robotnik cannot detect it or pick up on any messages. Once you two are settled in and I've seen to the affairs of my tribe, I'll inform them of your arrival and have Diablo escort you to their base."

"Excellent," Chris smiled, before a loud growling noise echoed through the cavern… coming from his stomach. Both human and wolf blinked, having been started by the sudden noise, and Chris could not help but blush. "Eh-heh, sorry…haven't had much to eat," he apologized sheepishly.

"So I hear," Lupe chuckled as she stood up, piling dirt on the already diminished flames to extinguish them. "Come, we've plenty of food for both you, Cream and Cheese… hopefully, you'll find it better than those Ready To Eat meals I saw you with," she smirked at the boy as he stood. "Canus is a wonderful cook, you'll discover."

"Thank Heaven, I don't know much longer I could've lasted on cardboard," Chris quipped as Lupe headed out, soon following after her. As they walked, he decided to pose another question for her, not wanting to endure the silence of the hallway for too long. "You mentioned being a mother, but I don't see any kids here… are they hidden?"

Lupe smiled fondly. "This base is where we keep our tribe's fighters, those who are willing to risk their lives to drive Robotnik out of our lands. Those who are unable, our very young and very old, are kept in a hidden village located far from here; a force of warriors remains to guard them in case anything should happen. My cubs are there, along with my husband Lobo," she sighed heavily, a far off look coming to her eyes. Chris gave a small smile in sympathy.

"You miss them, don't you?"

"What mother would not?" She looked up at him; at some level Chris was amused and awed by the fact that despite the rather evident advantage he possessed over her in regards to size, she exuded such authority that he felt so much smaller than her. "It is painful to leave them behind for so long, but I am needed here to see our people through to victory over Robotnik. I visit them whenever possible though," she smiled. "Beyond preserving what's left of our people, those who remain behind guarantee that our heritage will never be forgotten," she stated with pride.

"Really?" Chris asked with a raised brow.

"When Robotnik first struck our lands, many of our people where either killed or enslaved, and our ancient homelands were torn asunder to make way for his vile factories," she growled as memories of the takeover ran fresh in her mind. "I was barely out of my youth when my father fell in battle, and as time went on I realized that it was not enough to simply survive and fight back; we had to remember who we were, otherwise our victories would become meaningless. I thus made the decision to split the tribe in two; one to fight Robotnik, and one to keep those who could not fight away from the danger, and in the case of the younger members of the tribe, a place where they could grow and learn of their heritage before taking their place beside us. The older generation remains to teach the younger of the ways of their ancestors, and so we are able to take pride in the memories of those who came before as we strive against the enemy of all." She nodded, pausing for a moment as they continued on. "True death only comes when no one can remember. This way, there will always be someone to remember."

Chris said nothing, silently contemplating her words, impressed by her resolve as they headed down the hallway. It made Chris think of his own people, if there were any others and if not, what did that make him? Did that make it his responsibility to ensure the memory of his people and their accomplishments would never be forgotten? The most he had helped with to that end had been the graveyard back at the base, which would likely be overrun with moss in short time. It was a staggering, and saddening thought, and not being in the mood for melancholy, chose to switch his train of thought from his own situation to the news he would tell Cream. Cream's mother was alive, he would be able to remain in her life -well, hopefully. Not only that, but the possibility remained that he might be able continue the fight against Robotnik without having the end of his life be a guarantee. There would be much to celebrate between himself, Cream and Cheese, and he smiled lightly to himself.

For the first time in a long while, the future was looking brighter instead of darker.


	10. Among the Wolves

**Disclaimer: **Well, that took a good while, no? Not as bad as the last one, but still… here's hoping you all had happy holidays and a happy new year, and once more, much thanks to Quicksilver for beta-ing this and making it vastly superior to what it was when it started out; you're a real lifesaver. As has been mentioned multiple times over multiple chapters, I don't own anything here save for a minor nondescript animal that gets mentioned once and only once; everything else is property of Archie, DIC and most of all SEGA. Please do not sue me, for this is not made for profit, and I have nothing worth suing over.

**A Difficult Road Travelled**

**Chapter Ten: Among the Wolves**

In short time Lupe led Chris to the living quarters of the wolves, where Cream and Cheese had been escorted to during their conversation. The quarters they were in consisted of a long tunnel with a series of caverns carved into the sides, with privacy being maintained through the use of decorative yet functional curtains that separated each cave from outside view. Chris approved and was again impressed by the art and utilitarianism of these wolves. As they walked down through the tunnel Chris could hear faint conversation coming from several of the cavern chambers, and the soft glow of fire lights illuminated could be seen through the protective sheathe of the curtains. Several of the caverns were like this, Chris noted, though any attempt to analyze this detail further was promptly severed by a joyous cry that greeted them from further down the hallway away from the living quarters.

"Chris, Miss Lupe! You're back!"

"Chao chao chao!"

Chris smiled to himself, looking down at the two as they waved at him, happy smiles plastered on Cream and Cheese's face as he and Lupe approached. They were in a sizeable cavern, a bit bigger than the others though still rather cozily small by human standards. In the center of the cavern a fire pit was ablaze with a bonfire, and sitting down beside the rabbit and the chao were a now familiar pair of pink wolves, keeping watch over the two youngsters… whom promptly launched themselves out of the cavern and in an instant afterwards latched themselves to Chris' legs, hugging him with tight affection. The human gave a small chuckle as he started to kneel down, smiling levelly at the two. "Easy there, I wasn't gone long you know," he quipped as he placed his hand to Cream's head and gave it an affectionate rub.

"We know, and Miss Lyco and Leeta were very nice to us, but we still missed you," Cream explained brightly, Cheese giving an affectionate nuzzle as she spoke. The aforementioned Lyco and Leeta gathered themselves up from the floor as Lupe approached them, a pleased smile on the older wolf's face.

"And I trust our guests were not too much for either of you to handle?"

"Not at all, chieftain," Leeta reported dutifully. "They both behaved quite well, actually."

"Regular little angels at that," Lyco added, though neither of them where surprised. The journey between the time of their first meeting and the arrival at the Wolf Pack's stronghold had provided more than adequate evidence towards Cream's overall maturity and calmness, impressive for a child of her age.

"Good, very good," Lupe waved the two over, looking towards the pack's guests. "Dinner will be served soon. If you wish to join us in the main hall you are welcome too, however I will understand it if you both choose to decline." She cast a sympathetic glance towards Chris as she said this, and he gave a small nod of gratitude in turn. "I'll leave you two to collect yourselves. Until then, I will hopefully see you at dinner." And with that, Lupe headed out, Leeta and Lyco dutifully following their chieftess out of the living quarters and leaving the three outsiders to themselves. Cream looked up at Chris thoughtfully for a moment before speaking in a soft tone.

"We don't have to eat with them if you don't want to."

Chris had to smile at that, touched by her concern. "Heh, I appreciate the sentiment Cream, but we'll eat with them… it'll be good practice for what's going to come."

At this, Cream tilted her head, Cheese mimicking the action, the both of them carrying a similarly curious expression. "Oh? What do you mean, Chris?"

The human gave her a wide smile, happily anticipating her response to the groundbreaking news he had to give her. "Lupe's told me something wonderful, Cream. Your mom is alive… she's alive, and she's living in a Freedom Fighter village in the Great Forest," he explained as calmly even as his grin grew larger at the sight of Cream's amazed expression.

"R-Really? She is?" she asked in a small, hopeful voice, almost afraid to believe that it could be true. Chris nodded vigorously as he pressed onward with his revelations.

"Honest and true, she is. The Wolf Pack helped the Freedom Fighters save managed to track down the people who raided your village and saved them, and your mom was with them. Lupe's going to call them and tell them we're coming and that you're with us. Heck, you even have a cousin living there already!" he could scarcely contain his excited mirth, seeing Cream's eyes grow wider still. "And the best part? Lupe is going to have someone lead us to the Great Forest, to the village where they're living."

Cream said nothing for a moment, something that baffled Chris. His smile wavered a bit as he considered that. He'd been expecting her to scream with joy, jump around with glee, to do something to properly exhibit her feelings about the monumental discovery he'd just laid down upon her… instead, an almost unbearably awkward moment of silence. Even Cheese seemed a bit concerned, reaching out with a stubby to gently take hold of her hand and giving a worried bleat. Still, for a moment there was nothing from the girl… and then, Chris noticed a shine in the corners of her eyes and before he had time to ask what was wrong she had flung herself into his arms, sobbing loudly. Astonished by this turn of events, Chris looked down at her in utter confusion at her response even as she tightly hugged him, her head buried in his chest. Without much thought to it he carefully returned the favor, sinking down to both knees while wrapping his own arms around her small body and speaking softly, trying to comfort her. "Shh, shhh it's alright, it's alright," he murmured gently, giving her back a small pat. "Aw Cream, what's the matter?" He'd honestly thought this would go over well, but apparently, living in a city of the dead hadn't done wonders for his social skills.

Sniffling a bit, she managed to collect herself but only barely, pulling back to look up at him with great watery eyes as tears still streaked down her cheeks as she tried to get all the words out at once. "I-I'm sorry, Chris," She began, sniffling all the way, "I am happy, I really am it's just… it's just, I was so scared t-that I'd never see her again or you again and that Cheese and I would be left alone and-and-and-!" It was at that point that she could no longer speak clearly and so instead opted to resume quietly sobbing in front of Chris, holding him as tight as her small arms could manage, as if he would vanish away like a good dream if she didn't hug him enough, taking the small grains of hope he'd given her with him. Chris gazed down at her, at once stunned and touched by the admission, before swiftly hugging her to him and giving her a small, affectionate nuzzle.

"It's okay Cream, it's okay," he whispered to her as gently as he could manage, a small smile gracing his features as he looked down at her, cupping her chin and gently forcing her to gaze up at him even as she tried to calm herself and sniffled some more instead. "I know precisely how you feel, about how scary it is that things might not turn out for the best… I've been there before, many times," he murmured, memories shooting through his mind of the uncertainties he'd encountered his life, and the painful realizations that had come with them… but it would not be so with Cream. He would personally see to it that she enjoyed what had long been denied to him; the relief of knowing things would be okay. "But things will be alright. Your mom is alive and well, and I'm not going to go anywhere anytime soon. Chin up, Cream; the best that could have happened is going to happen and soon."

She sniffled once more, raising a gloved hand to wipe at her eyes and it was here that Cheese made his move, floating up beside her and smiling gently, patting her back comfortingly and cooing softly. Cream looked to him for a moment before looking back to Chris, a haphazard but none the less genuine smile gracing her features as she put her hands down. "Okay… I'm sorry for causing such a fuss, I've just been so scared that she might have been… might have been…" she shivered and reached out for Cheese, who floated comfortingly close as she held him tight, not daring to finish speaking of the horror that had likely rested in the back of her mind since the dreadful day that she'd been separated from her mother. Knowing all too well what she'd been going through, Chris gave her yet another sympathetic hug.

"I know, Cream, I know. It's a very scary thing to not know, but now it's over. You don't have to be afraid for her anymore," he said as comfortingly as he could, despite the twinges of envy filling him as he spoke. Despite the many, many harsh lessons he'd learnt about not getting his hopes up, in the past more often than not he allowed himself that most tantalizing of prospects, only for the harsh hand of reality to slap him in the face over and over again. And yet here, Cream's greatest crisis in life had resolved itself rather neatly. Oh, what he would have given to possess this kind of luck! However, the envy went as quickly as it had come, replaced by a sense of shame over his lack of empathy, inspiring him to try and reassure her as best he could.

"And you don't have to leave, right?" She turned to look up at him hopefully, her eyes almost comically wide as she gazed up at the human. He suppressed a possibly insulting urge to laugh at the sight, and instead allowed himself a chuckle and smiled down at her.

"I said it once and I'll say it again; I won't be going anywhere, Cream… hence why we'll be eating with the wolves tonight. I need to get used to the idea of being around more than one Mobian at a given time, and this will be as good an opportunity as any to get started with that."

Mere seconds after he spoke, his stomach decided to make its feelings known by growling and loudly, prompting stares from both Cream and Cheese before setting the both of them into barely contained fits of giggling. "Your tummy seems to agree with you," she grinned up at him, causing an increasingly embarrassed Chris to blush and place his hand over his stomach in self-conscious abasement.

"Eh-heh, that it does, that it indeed does," he murmured with an awkward smile, suddenly reminded of the fact that he really was very, VERY hungry. He sincerely hoped that dinner would start soon! As if to answer his prayers, Leeta arrived promptly to quickly and politely lead the three out of the living quarters and into the dining area.

There was little in the way of decoration save for torches, and Chris could see for himself that the numerous wolves had formed groups, conversing amongst each other as they ate. Up ahead were a series of fire pits, and over the pits various cauldrons and pots and other such containers were suspended over the now dimming flames, and the smell… Chris could scarcely recall the last time he had _smelled _real food such as this. It took all he had to not start drooling. It was almost enough to distract him from the looks several of the wolf groups gave him as they headed deeper into the area, and much like when he'd first arrived the expressions on the lupine faces ran the gamut from active malice to tentative curiosity. _Nice to know I'm not COMPLETELY hated around here, _Chris thought to himself wryly as he continued to follow after Leeta (or was it Lyco? He was having trouble telling the two apart). One thing did manage to catch his attention though; the white wolf he had spotted earlier, the large one, he was in the mess hall as well, and to Chris' mild astonishment was completely on his own. It struck the human as odd as it occurred to him that he'd not seen any of the wolves thus far keep themselves so aloof from one another.

"Hope you three don't mind a bit of company while you eat," a bell like voice rang out, snapping Chris out of his ruminations and back to the situation at hand. Leeta had led them to the Freedom Fighters who'd escorted them to the wolf pack's headquarters earlier; Canus, Lyco, and Reynard sitting in a loose circle, each of them with bowls full of what appeared to be a form of meat stew, with clay cups filled with an unknown liquid nearby.

"Oh, not at all miss Leeta," Cream smiled and nodded politely, Cheese floating beside her and mimicking the sentiment with a few enthusiast cries of 'Chao! Chao!' as both Chris and Cream sat down to join, with Leeta sitting herself beside her sister.

"So… what's on the menu?" Chris asked cautiously, even as his eyes bore a hungry hole into a pair of bowls filled with still steaming food that were nearby Canus. Even though it smelt strongly of some kind of meat, it didn't hurt to be a bit cautious… just because wolves were carnivores didn't meant they'd get their meat from the same place that Chris might be inclined to. At least with these people he didn't have to worry about WHO was on the menu.

"Beef stew, with a vegetarian mix for Cream and her little friend," Canus chuckled, taking the two bowls and handing them over to Chris and Cream. Chris was relieved to not only see a spoon in the bowl, but as well as the fact that it was made from honest to goodness Agrok meat. It pained him to think about how many times he'd taken for granted that the meat provided by those slovenly, hairy, four legged critters would be readily available… if he'd known then what he now knew he'd have savored every instance of eating it.

"Thank you, Mister Canus," Cream nodded as she accepted her bowl, smiling widely. "It smells wonderful… did you make all the food for everyone here?" she asked before taking a curious bite out of the mysterious stew, humming with delight at the flavor and letting Cheese sample it, with similar results, albeit more cries of "Chao!" involved.

"Heh, yep," Canus beamed with pride. "My family has always been in charge of preparing the pack's feasts, even before the days of Robotnik. I was lucky to learn all I could about the traditional meals from my mother and father before- whoa there now!" Canus yelped in astonishment as Chris dug into his food with a voracious hunger induced speed that was almost frightening, particularly in its noise and messiness levels, prompting stares from the other wolves. "My cooking isn't THAT good, take it easy or you won't even get to taste it!" he chuckled good-naturedly.

Chris blushed a little as he finished up his currently mouthful, quickly wiping his face of some errant sauce before looking to Canus. "Sorry, sorry, I know I'm kind of rushing it. It's just, man, you cannot begin to imagine how long it's been since I've had a _real _meal with some decent meat in it," he began to slow down now, and with his next bite he took careful time to chew and savor the flavoring of the stew, sighing happily.

"Your people not big on hunting, Overlander?" Reynard asked, sounding vaguely snide as he observed the human with a somewhat dubious expression on his face. Chris paused a moment, his expression carefully blank before turning to Reynard and smiling beatifically, ignoring the urge to tell Reynard to go several places in several fashions. Now, how had he known precisely who would give him grief here?

"We were sequestered in a hidden base that had enough rations to feed a city for the next twenty years, and security was a high enough priority that hunting for meat was considered too risky," Chris explained calmly. "We got all the nutrients we needed even if the food tasted awful. So yeah, we were not big on hunting, what with the armies of killer machines surrounding us on all sides at all times and the whole 'they take no prisoners' thing they had going on with us," he managed to drawl lightly, although there was some rather high tension in his jaw as he finished, prompting a snort from Reynard and an impressed whistle from Lyco.

"Sounds like it was rough, and I'm saying this knowing firsthand what the wolf nations have suffered under fat boy," she murmured, raising a brow. "They didn't take your kind to be roboticized?"

Chris frowned a little. "No… never," he stated softly. "I don't know why, but they never bothered to turn us into those worker robots, which struck me as a bit odd given that we tend to be larger and stronger than mobians. You'd think we'd be more useful like that."

"Who knows what goes on in that diseased mind?" Reynard snorted as he finished up his stew. "I personally could care less about why he does anything by this point."

"This is different from how you view everyone else in the world?" Lyco drawled out with a dry smirk, prompting an indignant huff from the orange furred wolf, and Lyco sniggered a bit. "Oh come off it Rey, you know I'm only teasing."

"Where is Miss Lupe? Isn't she hungry?" Cream asked curiously as she looked about for signs of the wolf chief.

"She's put off eating at the moment to discuss a few things with some of the other elder wolves, she'll be here eventually," Leeta said in an assuring tone, giving the rabbit kit a light pat on the back.

"Such is the price of being chief in a trying day and age such as this," Canus murmured solemnly before resuming his meal. Chris, now finished with his current mouthful, decided now would be a great time for some small talk.

"So, you guys hunted for this meat? Isn't that a bit dangerous with Robotnik's Spy Orbs sniffing about everywhere?"

"Oh, it is, but we're wolves… we wouldn't feel right if we didn't get some decent meat to eat, and hunting not only lets us enjoy the experience to the fullest but is also a bit more practical than trying to try and make farms or anything like that," Lyco explained with a shrug. "The most we got going on in that particular area are the pashas."

"Pashas? You guys have pashas?" Chris blinked, wondering how that could possibly work if keeping animals for farming was 'impractical'. Cream for her part beamed at the news, eyes practically sparkling at the news.

"How cute!" she gushed, prompting a somewhat disgruntled look from Cheese as he crossed his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes, as if to say 'oh boy, not THIS again'.

"It's difficult, but we've got a technique for being able to rear them without them crowding up the place," Reynard elaborated casually, sipping from his drink for a moment before continuing. "We raise them to respond to certain calls and to recognize certain markers of ours. So, while we familiarize them with us and with this area, we're able to let them into the wild with the other pasha herds until we need them later. Robotnik is none the wiser to the fact we use them to travel around quickly," he smirked.

"Clever," Chris conceded, actually rather impressed by the fact that the wolves had managed to utilize such a useful resource without alerting Robotnik to the fact. There was something to be said about this low tech approach when it came to some things. Cream for her part simply continued to gush with enthusiasm, finally looking up to Canus with huge, pleading eyes.

"Oh please, please can we see them at least once before we leave?" she begged, huge eyes now focused entirely upon the giant wolf, while Cheese hilariously enough simply planted his face within the closest thing that could be approximated as the 'palm of his hand', much to Chris' amusement.

"I don't see why not. You'll likely have to ride them to get where you're going after all," the jovial wolf pointed out, winking at the young girl and causing her to let out a small squeal of pure joy. All the while, Cheese sat dejectedly by her side, clearly less than impressed with his friend's adoration of the pashas. Chris wondered idly about the nature of jealousy and Chao psychology before Canus addressed him. "We even have a few larger ones to haul lots of supplies. They might be able to carry you around, Chris."

Chris breathed out a relief sigh. "Well, that's good to know. I'm not sure if the kind used for carrying around Mobians would be able to hold my weight. I mean, I'm not particularly big for a human, but… well…"

"Oh, don't worry about it," Leeta waved her hand in dismissal.

"If they won't break under Canus' weight, then they aren't about to do so under yours," Lyco quipped with a smirk, Canus simply snorting and rolling his eyes at the light jab made at his expense.

"Though you might want do something about your scent," Reynard drawled out. "They tend to be skittish around things that smell strange." Chris' good humor suddenly soured, neither appreciating the look being given to him by the wolf or the tone in his voice, glowering at him and half tempted to avenge the not so subtle insult with one of his own. He forced down the feeling at the last minute. He wasn't about to get into trouble over a tragically named wolf with an attitude.

The rest of the meal went about well enough, in spite of Reynard's frequent jabs and vaguely stealthy insults directed towards Chris. He found that despite himself, he was enjoying all of this; their company, conversing with them, sharing small stories and anecdotes with them over a meal. It was swiftly becoming clear to him that it mattered little that these wolves were Mobians (save for Reynard, but he was jerk anyway), he was just happy for some company and to have people to talk with. Heaven only knew how long it'd been exactly. Cream had opened the door to the possibility of being able to co-exist with the people he'd long been raised to perceive as his race's mortal foes, but it was being amongst this small gang of wolves that really opened his eyes to the idea that perhaps it really was possible for him to eke out a life amongst Mobians. It also made his lingering anxieties concerning the woodland Mobians lesson considerably. Not that he believed it would be easy sailing, but knowing what he knew now made facing that inevitability a bit easier.

Eventually all food was eaten, and by now the caverns were becoming less and less populated as the various other wolves collected their dishes and headed out. "The food was very tasty, Mister Canus. Thank you for it," Cream predictably bowed her head slightly as she praised the great wolf's culinary skills, and Chris once more felt the need to agree.

"It's literally been a decade since I've had an honest to God cooked meal like that, let alone one so good… I think I might actually miss it when we leave," Chris wiped his mouth clean of an errant bit of stew, smiling appreciatively. Canus with pride, burly arms crossed over his deep chest as he allowed himself a moment to be smug. Reynard however simply rolled his eyes as he stood up with his dishes.

"You're getting a compliment from an Overlander and a plant eater, Canus; recall that before you start getting a fat head about your cooking," he jeered lightly before heading off, prompting a flat glare from Canus directed towards his retreating form and a soft growl from Lyco.

"Oh that it is it, I've had it with him! I'm gonna-!" she started to stand up, only for her sister to calmly grab her by the arm and keep her in place.

"Let it go, Lyco," she stated in a serene voice.

"Let it go? He's acting like a bigger jackass than usual and you just want me to let him get away with it?" Lyco demanded sharply. Canus let out a rather tired sounding sigh.

"He's just acting out because he thinks Lupe is making a bad decision with letting Chris stay here… he only does it when he's worried," Canus explained, though he did allow his expression to harden a bit. "Though he could perhaps display a bit of tact."

Chris winced, feeling a twinge of guilt at the fact that this conflict was ultimately being started over the fact that he was here in the wolves territory… and this was just amongst this one group, who knew how the others in the pack felt about him? "I'm sorry," he blurted out suddenly. They looked at him and he continued sheepishly, "…My being here. That's causing him to act out," Chris looked to the remaining three wolves apologetically. Surprisingly, it was Cream who provided him with an answer.

"Don't be sorry because Mister Reynard likes to act like a jerk," she huffed, crossing her arms and pouting. "You aren't the one whose being rude to everyone all the time," she sniffed disdainfully, Cheese nodding in agreement with her. Both human and wolves stared at her for a moment before Canus let out a light laugh.

"Once more, Cream, you provide a rather astonishing insight," he chuckled, smiling affectionately.

"Now if only all cubs could display similar intellect," Lyco drawled.

"Yeah, then at least Reynard would have some wisdom to compensate for his lack of maturity!" Leeta giggled, prompting a bit of laughter from the others. Chris got to his feet, stretching his back slightly even as he held onto his bowl before a bright idea struck him.

"I'd be willing to set your dishes," he offered up. "It really is the least I could do to repay you guys for the food and shelter you've provided me and Cream… heck, I'll even help to clean them, if that's permissible."

"I'll help!" Cream piped up, Cheese floating up and nodding vigorously. Canus gave an amused chuckle, raising a blue furred brow.

"Seeing as how all matters pertaining to the kitchen begin and end with me, I'd be more than happy to accept the extra help." He proceeded to hand over his bowl, an action swiftly followed by Leeta and Lyco doing similar, and all three wolves got to their feet afterwards.

"Good meal as always Canus, but we'll catch you later," Lyco stated courteously.

"Yeah, after a meal like that some sleep isn't uncalled for, and since we got the hours off, might as well use them," Leeta beamed. "Bye bye!" And with that the two pink she-wolves simply left out of one of the exit tunnels, leaving Chris, Cream and Cheese with Canus.

"Just place them by the other bowls, and I'll be with you in a moment… I'm going go find Reynard, try and talk to him. Wait for me until then, okay?" Canus asked, craning his neck a bit to look up at Chris. It was a decidedly strange sensation for the wolf, given that traditionally everyone had to crane their necks to look up at him… it was an odd feeling to be in the shoes of everyone else, he had to admit. Both Chris and Cream nodded in response.

"Right, we got you. Come on Cream." With that said Canus headed off to locate his friend, and Chris did similar, heading towards where the bowls were being deposited with Cream and Cheese in tow, the young rabbit frowning lightly as she followed after him.

"That mister Reynard makes me so mad. I should have had Cheese bite him in the tail. Hard, even!" she muttered in an uncharacteristically angry tone. Cheese chao'd appreciatively, though Chris rather doubted he would be much in a fight, somehow... "Just because his parents gave him a bad name doesn't mean he should be allowed to act the way he does."

"It's probably a bit more than just that," Chris sighed out, even if he agreed with her sentiment… oh how he wanted to simply throw caution to the wind and force feed the wolf his own teeth. "And anyway, I think Canus is going to take care of him. Just be patient, soon enough we won't have to deal with him anymore." Privately though, Chris was well aware that he was hardly going to be free of others like Reynard. At the very least the belligerent wolf's words would help him to learn, in a small way at least, how to phase out such baiting and thus save him some trouble in the future, hopefully. If not, this was going to be a short visit to the Freedom Fighters…

The three arrived at the area where all the pots had been kept, where all the dishes had been carefully stored within racks that had been crudely constructed from thick and hefty sticks. Taking his dishes and Cream's own he carefully stacked them inside the rack, and began to do similar for stray bowls and plates that had been carelessly left beside the dish containers. Allowing his attention to lull as he set by his task, he did not hear the sound of footsteps behind him or take particular notice when Cream suddenly pressed close to his leg, Cheese doing similar to her. He was however brought back to Mobius by a deeply irritated grunt, followed by a positively venomous voice speaking.

"And just what the hell do you think you're doing, Overlander?"

The voice was deep, rough sounding, and Chris didn't recognize it a bit. Twirling around to face its owner, he nearly started; it was that same white wolf he'd noticed glaring at him earlier. He was big for a wolf… not nearly as tall or massive as Canus, but still decently sized. Just as his voice had been, everything about the brawny lupine seemed rough around the edges and almost ragged, and he glared up with an almost diabolical amount of spite directed towards the human. Chris nearly took a step back before catching himself and steeling his nerves as a feeling of dread began to collect in his gut.

"I believe I'm preparing the dishes for Canus when he gets back, at his request… is that a problem?" Chris asked cautiously and very politely while Cream held onto his leg all the tighter. The white wolf snorted, arms over his chest, a disdainful looking sneer forming on his face, one that did well to show off a rather intimidating set of fangs.

"Yeah, you could say that, hairless… though I think the problem is more about you than the damn dishes," he narrowed his eyes. "Who the hell are you to come here and take food from us, huh? Life's crappy enough without havin' to waste good food scum like you," he growled out, glaring hatefully. Chris tensed, keeping his anger in check as he spoke back even as Cream clutched his leg.

"I am here by the grace of your chieftain and was invited to partake in the meal here. If you have a problem with me, you'll be happy to know that I'll be gone tomorrow, so just… cool it," Chris spoke calmly, calculatingly, raising a hand in the hopes of easing the wolf's nerves.

It wasn't working.

"Not good enough skinjob," the wolf snorted and promptly reached out to give a rough shove to Chris which barely moved the larger, heavier human, but the hostility behind the gesture could not be denied. "You get the hell out of here, or else I'm gonna make ya leave," he then grinned. "Actually I'm kinda hopin' you'll stay… then at least I get the pleasure of beatin' the piss out of ya."

Chris struggled to remain calm. At long last, he was starting to understand what kind of a person Drago was, and he didn't think they were about to become friends. He again appealed to the wolf. "You were there when your chief announced us… you do this, you risk getting her angry."

A dismissive shrug was his answer. "Feh, Lupe ain't always right, and you runnin' around here is just insultin' and dangerous. Know how many we lost last week to yer kind?"

All of a sudden, Chris was very sure he didn't like Drago. The anger was now palpable in Chris' voice as it rose with emotion and anger, his fists clenching. "He isn't 'my kind' any more than he is one of yours," he growled out before a whimper from Cream forced the calm back into him. "I don't want any trouble, alright? I swear, I'll be out of sight and out of mind, just don't-"

He saw a flash of white and felt a hard, furry fist collide with his jaw. The force of the blow and its suddenness caught him off guard, and he was sent staggering away before tripping up and falling to the hard rock floor, his head ringing even as Cream screamed in fright and outrage.

"Last chance to scram overlander, before I get _mean_," the wolf smirked. "Heh, and here I always heard talk about you freaks bein' tough… but then, guess that's why YOU lost the war, ain't it?" he jeered, his smirk swiftly morphing into a wide, cruel grin. Cream by now had had enough of the wolf, and launched herself at his leg, kicking and punching at the completely unaffected and impressed lupine.

"You leave him alone, he hasn't been doing anything wrong!" she yelled out, on the verge of tears. "He wasn't going to do anything you-you-you-!"

"Aw shaddap," the Wolf groaned out, removing Cream from his shins with a firm shove, very nearly causing her to fall. If not for Cheese flying to intercept her as she stumbled about she may very well have ended up on the floor. Cheese glared daggers at the wolf, but he would have not much time to. Suddenly Chris didn't care that this wolf could easily get him thrown out or that he could be critically injured just by the wolf's claws – this guy needed a lesson, and Chris would very gladly give him one. Rage propelled him back on his feet, and he immediately launched himself at the wolf. Memories went flooding back to Chris of Tanaka, of endless combat sessions with the disciplined butler and the military trainers at the base. The wolf had taken him by surprise, but that advantage had passed… now, it was Chris's turn to hurt someone. Namely, Drago.

His fists worked rapidly, hammering the wolf's body with a series of light blows; light by the standards of humans, but not so much Mobians. The wolf grunted in pain, staggering back slightly before trying to fight back, aiming a vicious kick towards Chris' groin… that Chris promptly dodged. Grabbing his ankle he gave a fierce tug, and within moments the wolf was now laying prone before him, a stunned expression on his face. Seconds later Chris drove his knee into the wolf's gut and began punching at his jaw, letting his anger out in a canvas of bruised and bloodied flesh as he hammered at the once arrogant Mobian, oblivious to the small ring of wolves that had formed around him, or to who was approaching the spectacle swiftly.

"What is the meaning of this?"

That voice, using THAT tone… Chris stopped immediately, eyes widening as his head snapped to face the other than Lupe, flanked by Diablo and the both of them utterly furious looking. _Oh, crap._ His expression flashed between contriteness, reassurance and outright fear. He knew how this looked; he had one of her own pinned down on the ground with Chris's fists firmly lodged in his face. Already bruises could be seen even through the wolf's fur, to say nothing of the blood… the scene looked like a murder in progress. Cream scrambled to Lupe's side, grasping her hand desperately.

"It's not his fault! That… wolf, he-!"

"Be silent!" Lupe snapped down at her, and Cream backed off immediately, shocked at being addressed in such a tone. Glaring at Chris, her voice was controlled and steely, and held the promise of all manner of dangers. "You. Get off him. Now."

Without thinking, Chris obeyed, the wolf coughing and sputtering as the human let off from him at last, and he hastily crawled back from where he'd lain and shakily got to his feet, grinning feebly toward the wolf chief. "Thank the Great Spirit ya got here Lupe, he went nuts, he woulda killed me if you hadn't-"

"Silence, Drago," Lupe stated in a cool tone, the white wolf shutting his mouth immediately and pinning his ears back fearfully, tail between his legs. Chris would have relished the bigot's humiliation more were it not for the fact he felt none too dissimilar to Drago at this moment. Lupe, arms behind her back as she eyed the two critically, continued to speak in that terrifyingly calm voice of hers while Diablo glared daggers at the both of them. "I am only going to ask this once, and only once; What. Happened?"

"I saw what happened, Chief," a voice rang out from outside the gathered circle of wolves, and Chris very nearly let out a groan at how bad his luck was. It was Reynard, his expression indifferent as he headed towards Lupe, and it was at this moment that Chris knew he was doomed. There was no way Reynard would allow Chris to go unscathed for harming one of his pack, he was going to come to this idiot's defense and let him be punished for defending himself! Life sucked, again! It wasn't fair, it wasn't right, it-

"Not particularly sure what was said, but all I know is that Drago threw the first punch," Reynard stated neutrally, jerking a thumb towards the aforementioned Drago, and Chris nearly dislocated his neck with the speed that he caused his head to face Reynard, eyes wider than saucers. Ignoring the human, Reynard continued with his eye witness account of things. "After, the human started fighting back, and that's what brings us to the rare sight of Drago getting his ass kicked but good," Reynard smirked. Diablo let out an exasperated snort.

"Why am I not surprised?"

"You did nothing to stop this?" Lupe asked with a raised brow, her tone more than a little critical.

"I wasn't in any kind of position to do so; I only got there just in time to hear them get loud and to see Drago throw a punch, and after that it was pretty much just a matter of watching Drago get a lesson about how to choose his fights," Reynard shrugged. Lupe crossed her arms over her chest, scrutinizing both human and wolf before letting out a heavy sigh.

"Hrm, very well… Chris," her voice was firm, unyielding… but none the less understanding. "You and Cream may both go. I cannot begin to express how sorry I am that this happened", she stated matter of factly, and Chris let out a deep breath of relief. Cream said nothing, running over to Chris' side to hug at his leg and glaring harshly at Drago, an expression the bloodied wolf returned in kind. Lupe turned her gaze toward him, eyes narrowed and tone positively arctic.

"As for YOU, Drago…"

"Oh come ON! Are you really going to fault me for wanting this hairless freak out of here?" Drago demanded, glaring defiantly at his chief. Diablo growled and stepped forward, hackles raised as he glowered at the younger wolf.

"You have no excuses, Drago! You were at the meet like everyone else, and you still chose to disobey your chief!"

"Stay out of this old man!" Drago snapped back with a sneer. "I only did what everyone here WANTED to do, you ain't gonna tell me I deserve to be punished for-YAAAAH!" he yelped out in pain and launched himself nearly three feet in the air, and soon it became apparent why; latched onto his tail was none other than Cheese, clamping down upon the appendage with those dagger-like teeth of his and holding on even as Drago thrashed and screamed. The wolves present at the scene burst out laughing, and Chris allowed himself a sinfully large smirk along with a moment of malicious glee at Drago's torment. As quick as he'd come, Cheese flew away and into a smiling Cream's arms, himself giving a wide, toothy grin towards the outraged wolf. "You little piece of-!"

"Enough, Drago!" Lupe snapped, her patience by this point clearly having reached its end limits. "You will accompany me and Diablo to my quarters so that we might discuss an appropriate punishment for you insubordination," she growled out and then looked at the small group of wolves around her. "As for the rest of you, show's over! Clear out and return to whatever you were doing, there is nothing to see here," she announced imperiously and with that, the wolves did indeed begin to disperse, save for Reynard. Lupe turned around, Diablo following her as she walked out. "Come, Drago," she said without looking back, her voice iron. Clutching at his arm, Drago shot one last hateful glare towards Chris before hobbling on after the other two wolves, leaving Chris, Cream and Cheese with Reynard. Immediately, Cream stepped forward and gave a small bow of her head.

"Thank you for speaking up for Chris, mister Reynard," she looked up to him curiously. "I thought you didn't like Chris?"

"I don't," Reynard stated flatly. "I still think it was a bad idea to let him in here, but you're welcome all the same."

Chris raised a brow. "That being the case, why didn't you just take Drago's side and be rid of me?"

Reynard crooked his head up towards the human, fixing him with a hard glare. "Let's get one thing straight, Overlander, I don't like you." He emphasized this point with a poke to Chris's armored chest, a slight Chris chose to ignore in favor of rolling his eyes, instead keeping his expression a deadpan neutral.

"No, really? Good heavens, I'd never noticed."

"Don't get smart with me," Reynard snorted. "Fact is, I don't like you and I still think Lupe was nuts to let you in here." His expression then softened, if only just barely. "That being said, Lupe is still my chieftain, and orders are orders. She said you to let you be, and Drago blatantly disregarded that fact. Insubordination can't ever be tolerated," then came a smirk, "And besides the fact, he's a jackass… he got what was coming to him."

"YOU think he's a jerk?" Chris asked disbelievingly, finding it hard to swallow that there might be someone the abrasive wolf would find obnoxious; comically enough, his own expression was mirrored by both Cream and Cheese's.

"He's a disobedient punk who never learns when to leave well enough alone," Reynard grunted. "Out of all of us he's got the most infractions against him, but Lupe keeps him around because he's useful and because she believes he just needs guidance… personally, I'd sooner just kick him out on his ass and let the spirits sort him out," he said with a shrug.

"I'll be…" Chris murmured, rubbing the back of his head and stopping himself from swearing in front of Cream for the umpteenth time. "All the same though… thank you," he said in earnest, before a curious expression came about his face. "You know, Canus was looking for you. Was he able to find you?"

"Heh, Canus'll be all over the tunnels before he realizes I doubled back over here. These tunnels smell like everyone, so it's impossible to track anyone by scent. Once he realizes where I'm likely at, then we'll talk," Reynard chuckled. Cream looked up at him, her eyes inquisitive, and broke her silence soon after he was done explaining.

"Mister Reynard? May I ask you a question?" Cream asked politely, holding Cheese close to her.

"Can I stop you?" The wolf responded flatly before letting out a tired sigh. "Sure, kid, go on."

"Why are you named 'fox'?"

"Cream!" Chris yelped out, suddenly overcome with the urge to slap his hand to his eyes at her innocent question even as an odd sense of gratitude came to him towards her for asking the question rather than him. He'd been quite curious about the fact as well. Reynard for his part twitched a little before rubbing at the bridge between his eyes.

"Once more it would seem my packmates are loose with their tongues," he groused lightly before kneeling down so that he was more at the child's level, while Chris tried to not look too interested in what he had to say. "Kid, it's like this… when grown-ups love eachother a lot, they'll get married and sometimes even have kids of their own, following me?" He paused, watching as Cream nodded in understanding. "Alright… the thing is, my mother father started out loving each other a lot and even got married, but whatever it was that they loved about each other dried up afterwards. And then they had me as a last ditch effort to prove they still loved each other," A heavy, regretful sigh escaped the wolf, "Only it didn't really work out… my father became convinced I wasn't really his, and when I was born he named me as a way to declare that his wife had been unfaithful, and since the male child's name is the right of the father, I ended up getting called Reynard." Chris winced at the tale, well aware that even dumbing it down like that much of it would be over Cream's head, as well as the simple fact of the causes behind Reynard's unfortunate name. To say nothing about the implications of what his home life might have been like…

"Oh… I see…" Cream cocked her head, trying to understand as best that she could. "Your father was a mean one," she concluded. Reynard let out a bitter chuckle as he got back to his feet.

"Ain't that the truth?"

"Couldn't you have changed your name though?" Chris asked, talking at last. "When you were older I mean… why would you keep a name like 'Reynard'?"

"Mostly because I'm used to it, and because I think it's a good way to spite my old man," was the nonchalant response. "I'm a better wolf than he ever was, in spite of that name he saddled me with. I think of it as my mark of being a survivor."

"I guess that makes sense…" Chris shrugged. Personally he'd have changed the name and if possible gotten himself legally removed from his family if possible, had it been him in Reynard's situation. Just then, a familiar blue form came marching out of the tunnels, a deeply annoyed expression plastered on his rough features.

"THERE you are!" Canus bellowed out. "I've been looking all over for you! You and I need to talk-"

"Mister Reynard helped Chris!" Cream yelled out, beaming brightly.

"Chao chao!"

That one threw Canus for a loop. "What?" he asked, staring at Chris and then at Reynard. Chris couldn't help but chuckle at the poor wolf's confusion.

"True story… some idiot called Drago attacked me, and Reynard spoke on my behalf when Lupe broke up the fight," Chris explained with a chuckle, "It was pretty damn surprising, but a great favor none the less," he smirked towards Reynard, hoping a bit of playful needling would not undo the vague amount of goodwill that had been forming between the two. Reynard crossed his arms and snorted.

"Yeah, I'm a really big guy and did you a great favor and blah blah blah," he drawled out. "I only did it because that moron Drago decided to disobey Lupe. Again. He had it coming to him anyway." He then looked to Canus. "You wanted to discuss something with me Canus?"

"Ah… you know what? It doesn't really matter anymore," the big blue wolf smiled, and Cream giggled, causing him to turn his attention towards her and Chris. "I don't suppose you'd still be willing to help me with the dishes?"

"We both said we'd do it, didn't we?" Chris smirked, Cream nodding in agreement. Smiling, Canus took ahold of one of the dish racks, easily lifting it.

"In that case, grab a rack and follow me. Be seeing you later, Reynard," Canus nodded a goodbye to the other wolf before starting to head out. Following his example, Chris managed to heft up a rack of his own and was soon taking off after the blue giant, Cream and Cheese by his side as always. After the somewhat nerve rattling experience with Drago, all three of the outsiders were looking forward to something to take their mind off of the bully.

Speaking of whom, at that moment, was just about finished receiving the dressing down of his life.

"-and if you _ever _disobey me in such a flagrant way again, so help me I _will _have your tail and hang it on the mantle of my cavern as a decoration, and afterwards you will have nothing to look forward to save for a lifetime of clean up duty. Do we understand one another, Drago?" Lupe said coldly, her eyes narrowed and gazing intensely at the wolf before her. To Drago's credit, he did not shrink away or cringe, instead standing tall and glaring back at her defiantly, doubly impressive given that Diablo was flanking her and giving Drago as much disapproval and disdain that he could muster without speaking. Fists clenched and shaking by his side, Drago spoke through grit fangs, his displeasure at the situation more than obvious.

"Of course, Chief. I understand perfectly," he muttered, a faint growl to his voice.

"Good. You are dismissed," her tone was professional, and her words carried an unspoken promise of retribution should he test her patience any further. Without another word, Drago turned on his feet and marched out of her living space, and Lupe allowed herself tired, heavy sigh, shaking her head.

"You go too easy on him, Chief," Diablo stated as he looked down upon her. "Had he disobeyed your father in such a manner, losing his tail would be the very least of his problems."

"I am not my father, Diablo. Though I honor his memory, his way of doing things cannot work in this time and age… we need as many able bodied wolves as we can get, and Drago has his uses," the grey she-wolf stated mechanically, having had this conversation before. "His was a hard life before becoming a part of this pack. In time, he will understand his place here and how things are done. Just because he is rebellious, does not mean we should treat him like a dumb animal."

"I sincerely hope you are right, my chief," Diablo murmured. "It is a fortunate thing that the young human and his friends will not be here much longer. Drago would only be the beginning and you know it."

"Which is why I'm heading for the communication room," Lupe nodded. "The meeting with you and the others concerning our supplies distracted me from doing it sooner, but I won't put it off any longer." She suddenly froze, her ears perking up, and she sped over to set aside the hide cover of her cave, looking around curiously. A confused Diablo approached her and stuck his head out to take a look around as well.

"Something catch your attention, Lupe?"

"I thought I heard something outside," Lupe murmured with a frown, shaking her head. "My senses must be playing tricks on me," she chuckled before stepping out, Diablo following her. "Take care, old friend, I'll not be long."

"I shall be on lookout duty should you need me," Diablo smiled and nodded, making his way out at a fairly leisurely pace, soon vanishing into the main tunnels. Lupe herself took a different path to the older wolf, carefully making her way to a distant and fairly isolated part of the cavern network, until eventually she arrived at the communications room. There lay the main source of communication between her own freedom fighters and those who resided in the Great Forest, in the hidden village of Knothole. Robotnik's advanced technology made easier methods of communication incredibly difficult, for it was a simple matter for him to pick up on most conventional means of calling and homing in on the source. However, for all the man's brilliance, in some areas he could be remarkably short sighted, and that manifested itself well in his continual tendency to overlook the advantages that certain primitive technologies held. Here, pressed up against a darkened corner of the cavern, was a small, crudely made but none the less highly efficient two way electrical telegraph, painstakingly installed to allow private communications between the two freedom fighter groups without a chance of detection.

Learning how to use the telegraph's coded language had been easy enough for most of the wolves to figure out, as even before then they'd made use of code languages operating under a similar principle, and Lupe was no exception to that fact. Sitting herself down in front of the telegraph, she placed her hand upon the Morse key and began to tap away her message. She didn't fear that they'd be present or not; both telegraph communicators came attached with recorders that would print out the messages given in code form. "Attention Knothole Freedom Fighters, stop," she spoke allowed as she created the message, finding it made things all the easier for her. "This is Lupe, stop. I have the daughter of Vanilla, stop. She has a human friend named Christopher, stop. She has a human friend named Christopher, stop. He helped her after her village was raided, stop. They are both with me and I will be sending them your way courtesy of Diablo, stop. If you see a human in the Great Forest, do not attack him for he is a friendly, stop. You'll be able to tell who he is by the simple fact that he has hair, stop," she added that last bit with a bit of a wry chuckle. "Expect them tomorrow, stop."

After the message finished, Lupe waited for a moment in the hopes of receiving a message in turn. When none came, she simply shrugged and stood up, starting to head out. A sudden chill ran up her spine, an indefinable feeling of unease that she could not quite understand the source of. She looked around the communications room, straining to hear or see anything out of the ordinary. When nothing made itself readily known, she shook her head and dismissed the feeling. "You're starting to lose your mind, Lupe old girl," she murmured to herself reproachfully and promptly left. Several moments of silence passed in the now abandoned communications room, Lupe by now long gone.

Suddenly the silence was disrupted by the sound of dark chuckling.

"Bitch, you make it _too _easy."

Drago smirked to himself as he emerged from his hiding spot, located behind a convenient outgrowth of rock in a darker section of the cavern. He would admit that hiding there, with Lupe roughly a dozen feet from him had been nerve wracking, but it'd been worth it. He headed for the telegraph, looking behind it, smirking as he beheld his handiwork. A pair of wires, crucial for allowing the electrical bursts of the telegraph to be transmitted through the communicator lines, had been pulled from their place by him, and without a care he promptly reconnected them.

He grinned to himself as he considered what he'd just done. When he'd waited outside Lupe's quarters to glean some information on where and how the human would be leaving, he'd been hoping to have a chance to sabotage the path that'd be laid out for the miserable Overlander and his friends, but when he overheard that she hadn't sent the message yet he KNEW what he had to do. He'd run to the communication room and disconnected the wires, well aware of their importance, and hid himself inside the chamber rather than risk running into Lupe on the way out. It'd been risky to be sure, but it had paid off beautifully… now, rather than risk his own hide trying to end the hairless freak, he could just have the forest dwellers do it for him, and best of all it would all be blamed on an equipment failure! He couldn't be touched! He had to laugh a little as he headed out, smirking in triumph. "Drago, you are too good," he said to himself aloud as he headed back out into the main caverns.

The only downside to this arrangement was that he'd not be able to witness the human's end himself… oh well, he'd have to console himself by picturing the details instead; a decent compromise, he wagered. _Life is good, _he thought to himself, while all the visitors of the Wolf Pack continued on their activities, blissfully unaware of the treachery that had been undertaken against them.


	11. The Road to Knothole

**Disclaimer: **If by this point you don't understand how precious little of this fic is owned by me, then you haven't been paying attention; I own nothing, nada, zippo, it's all Sega, DIC, and Archie. This is done not for profit but for the fun and enjoyment of others, I make no money off of this nor do I lay any kind of claim to ownership. Once more, mucho gracias to my beta reader Quicksilver, who has made this readable yet once more.

**A Difficult Road Traveled **

**Chapter Eleven: The Road to Knothole**

"Wheee! Oh Chris, isn't this exciting?"

"Yes, very exciting, now please hold steady Cream!"

"Chao chao chaaao!"

Chris gripped the reins of his pasha with white knuckles, his heart thumping wildly in his chest as the great beast carried him across the Great Plains alongside Diablo and Cream, with Cheese perched on his shoulder and gripping his head with a similar desperation (an odd sensation given the Chao's lack of visible fingers). Chris personally wasn't sure why the Chao was panicking… it wasn't like he ran the risk of cracking his head open if something spooked the pasha, not with those wings of his to carry him off to safety in such an event. Chris shuddered as the image ran through his head, forcing himself to steel his nerves; after all, he was a fighter in the Overland resistance, had spent much of his life as a soldier, and had even managed to survive the Forbidden Zone and make it into the heart of enemy territory all on his own. It was unbecoming of him to remain afraid of the creature he was currently riding on. Or at least, that's what he kept telling himself.

Chris and Cream had been woken up in the morning to begin the journey, and Chris had been given a crash course in how to ride a pasha. Frankly, he was certain he'd never willingly repeat the experience, but the beast was surprisingly easygoing, and that at least made the thing easy enough to control and ride despite his inexperience. Cream, on the other hand, had been ecstatic about the chance to ride a pasha, though unlike Chris she at least was sitting before Diablo while the old wolf effortlessly drove the pasha onward. Where Chris was filled with fears and anxieties kept in check only by a lifetime of discipline, Cream was simply overjoyed by everything. Though, just to be on the safe side, Chris had insisted she wear a helmet. Not that he doubted Diablo's skills with the pasha, but with Cream's safety he would brook no chances.

Chris' pasha was a massive breed known as a Kurakas; nearly twice the size of the more common and petite Velek pashas utilized by Mobians, Kurakas were the traditional beast of burden used by Chris' own people, and he was fortunate that the wolves counted one amongst the semi-domesticated herds they tended to. The supply bags that Chris had managed to salvage from the wreck of his ship were strapped down on the Kurakas' back, though considerably lightened thanks to Chris donating a fair portion of their contents to the wolves as gratitude for allowing he and Cream refuge amongst them (including, to his mild relief, the ready-eat meals… after tasting a real meal for the first time in ages, he couldn't stand to _look_ at them anymore). Similarly the weapons he'd managed to save as well had been returned to him, his laser rifle slung over his shoulder as he rode (safety on at the moment).

Similarly, Diablo's own Pasha was carrying supplies, though his were along the lines of materials for tent-making rather than the military based items Chris held. And just as the human was, the old wolf had also brought a weapon along for the ride, an old Royal Army Standard Flak Rifle from the Great War era; while Chris mentally debated the merits of the old gun, Diablo himself insisted that if it was good enough to get him through the War and it had been good enough to get him through Robotnik's forces, it was good enough for a trip to Knothole.

"Keep steady, human; if the beast senses weakness you're going to end up walking to Knothole on a broken leg!" Diablo hollered to Chris without taking his eyes off of the open plains ahead of them, prompting a small giggle from Cream and a groan from Chris.

"Well, excuse me for being a city boy! It's a miracle nothing's happened yet on this deathtrap of a creature yet, so don't jinx me now!" Chris shot back, Cheese echoing his sentiments with a rapid series of nods. "How many days is this going to take again?"

"Assuming we don't run into any severe problems and maintain good weather, we should be there by tomorrow," Diablo responded, Cream fidgeting with a wide, excited grin. "Steady now lass, your mother will be there when we get there but not if you end up sliding yourself off the pasha with all your squirming," he admonished gently, not taking his eyes off the path ahead while she blushed and forced herself to sit still.

"Sorry Mr. Diablo," she murmured demurely. "I'll try not to be fidgety."

It didn't take much to guess at the source of the young girl's sudden energy. Diablo gave a very small smile even as he gazed forward. "Good things come to those who wait, child. Just be patient, and before you know it we will be in Knothole."

The encouraging words caused the girl to beam, while Chris took the opportunity to look ahead at the horizon. Even from this distance he could see the murky, shadowy blot of smog that hovered over every inch of Robotropolis. From where the riders were located it looked like a dirty thumb print against the sky, and once more Chris found himself staggered imagining just how unbelievably foul it must have been up close… it made him wonder at some level how it was possible for Robotnik to actually live in something so toxic for so long, or for that matter how the Knothole Freedom Fighters could live so close to it without any ill effect. And though he was genuinely happy for Cream's good fortune regarding her mother, he could not stop a pit from forming in his stomach at the prospect of what was awaiting him in those forests. It scared him right down the core of his being, particularly after the incident with Drago back in the caverns. While his experiences with the Wolf Pack had taught him it was within the realm of possibility for him to enjoy a relative amount of peace among Mobians, he still could not help but wonder if he would meet his doom in Knothole.

The cloud of smog so far in the distance started to seem like an omen, present and seeming to grow the closer the motley crew drew to their destination, in direct proportion to the nearness towards Chris' possible end. To his credit though, Chris did not draw back at any time, nor did he allow the temptation to worm its way into his mind. He'd made a promise to both Cream and Lupe, and he intended to keep it to the best of his ability.

Thankfully throughout the trip no major incidents presented themselves, be they bandits, brigands or Swatbots, and once the evening stars began to show in the night's sky, the companions made camp. Cream and Cheese kindly assisted Diablo in setting up the tent, while Chris busied himself collecting firewood and getting a good blaze going on (even if it took nearly a dozen tries before he could get a spark to form from the piece of flint he'd found). Soon enough the camp was set up, the pashas tied to a nearby tree, and all four travelers were situated around the fire and eating the rations that had been brought along, Cheese and Cream sitting beside Chris while Diablo sat opposite from them.

"We will take turns going on lookout duty," Diablo stated promptly after taking a bite from a bit of jerky. "So far we've been lucky, but that doesn't mean it'll hold out for the rest of this trip," the old wolf said in serious tones as he looked to the human, rabbit and Chao. "I'll take up the first shift."

Chris's brow rose. "Why's that?"

"My sense are better than yours, kid, and the rest after will do me good towards getting us to Knothole," Diablo elaborated, giving him a small smile. "Unless you'd rather be first…?"

"Ah, no no, I was just wondering why- you know what, forget it. Ask an obvious question," Chris murmured, rubbing the back of his head, Cream giggling a bit before gazing upwards with a great smile upon her face.

"I can't believe I finally got to ride a Pasha… I've always wanted to you know," she beamed towards the others, causing a small groan from Cheese and a chuckle from Diablo.

"Had we more time I'd show you how to properly ride one, child. I have a feeling you'd be very good at it too."

Cream's grin widened at the praise.

"Hoo boy, not me," Chris shuddered. "While it's not as difficult as I thought it would be, I'll gladly take a speeder or a hovercraft over pashas, it just isn't me."

"Feh, you can keep the noisy things," Diablo waved his hand dismissively. "Pashas were good enough for my father, his father, and his father before him, and they're good enough for me and most everyone else."

"Whatever floats your boat," Chris remarked dryly, his phrase getting a confused glance from both Cream and Cheese while he gazed upward to the stars. The clear night sky gave them a particular glow, aided by the waxing form the moon, and he once more found himself transfixed by their beauty. Diablo gave a curious raise of his brow as he observed the human's trancelike state.

"Something catch your attention, Overlander?"

Chris did a double take as he was brought back to Mobius, giving a confused blink over to the wolf. "Hmm, what was that?" he asked, wondering what had just been said.

"He asked if you were looking at anything," Cream spoke up before Diablo could, and then turned her head to face the old wolf with a pleasant smile. "Chris was just looking at the stars. He hasn't seen them like this in a really long time."

"Really now?" Diablo asked in astonishment, looking over to Chris questioningly.

"As I told Cream, I grew up in a city that made clear skies a bit hard to come by," Chris explained with a shrug. "And then Robotnik started setting up shop, and it got so bad that the only way you could really tell night from day was by what shade of grey the sky was. It's just been a long time since I've seen them is all, so forgive me if I get a little caught up in them."

"Nothing to forgive," Diablo snorted. "And you better appreciate this view while you can, because I promise you that they'll be a rare sight when you get to Knothole."

"I figured as much, I saw the cloud over Robotropolis," Chris nodded.

"Trust me, it's even worse when it's up close," Diablo muttered darkly.

"You've been to Robotropolis, Mr. Diablo?" Cream asked curiously, eyes widening slightly. She'd only ever heard stories about the place, based upon half-truths and rumors, never seeing even a picture. "What's it like? Is it really as bad as the stories say it is?"

"Every bit as bad, and sometimes even worse," Diablo snorted, Chris now giving his undivided attention to the wolf as Cheese and Cream did. He had seen footage of the place, but a first person account of things was interesting none the less. "It's a dark, awful place filled with machines that want to kill you, and the smell… the smell alone would make you never want to go near it again. Even worse than the Swatbots and the smell, is just the way it feels. Try picturing a city where there's no sounds of people, no sounds of anything living there, just the constant drone of machinery. Nothing to give you any hint there's anything alive, and yet somehow you always get this feeling there's something watching you, and waiting," Diablo's eyes took on a haunted gaze before he shook his head. "Makes me happy I've not been there too often."

"How'd you end up in Robotropolis?" Chris spoke up. "Your pack lives a pretty healthy distance from there."

"That we do, but we are also always ready to lend a hand to the Knothole Villagers when they need it," Diablo explained solemnly. "When they were shorthanded for curtain missions, Lupe would volunteer our services for their mission. And I'll admit, it was satisfying to hit the b-" he paused, looking at Cream's innocent face. "The… bum where it hurt him the most," he smirked in a moment of malicious glee before resuming his earlier solemnity. "However, for all the great honor it is to help our allies and the princess, I would be perfectly happy to never set foot in that foul place ever again… everything about it just unnatural and unnerving."

It was then that Cheese let out a loud yawn and gave a few mumbling utterances of 'chao' before leaning up against Cream, nuzzling her gently. "Oh dear, Cheese is getting sleepy," Cream noted gently as she held the Chao close, soon uttering a yawn of her own. "And so am I," she murmured, rubbing at one of her eyes tiredly. In that instant, Chris leaned over her to grant her a quick a hug.

"I'm not surprised, it's been a fairly busy day, and it'll be even busier tomorrow," he then gave her a firm gaze. "Which means its bed time for you two. Go on now, off to the tent."

"We can stay up a little longer," Cream murmured tiredly, Cheese mimicking her sentiment as usual even as their actions and tone betrayed the fundamental contradiction of her words. Chris just let out an amused chuckle and gently lifted Cream to her feet.

"You two aren't fooling anybody. Get to bed," he ordered, using that same firm tone and pointing towards the tent for emphasis. The rabbit girl and chao both let out sighs of defeat, though before leaving she would launch herself at Chris to deliver a quick but firm hug.

"Alright Chris, good night," she murmured with a soft smile.

"Chao chao!"

"Good night to the both of you. Sweet dreams," Chris returned the hug, smiling as the two headed off to the tent and entered it. Throughout this, Diablo observed the young human critically and after a moment of silence decided to make his opinion known.

"Huh. I admit, I would not have believed it if I had been told," the old wolf mused, lifting up a stick to poke at the embers of the fire and reinvigorate the flame a bit. Chris cocked his head, brow raised in confusion.

"What do you mean exactly?"

"Lupe told me you were much like the girl's sibling, a fact I had a great deal of difficulty believing," Diablo explained in a matter-of-fact tone, looking back over to the human as he spoke. "And even after seeing it for myself I find that still to be the case, if only just a little. Just how does something like that happen?"

"Loneliness crosses species boundaries apparently," Chris remarked with a touch of irony to his tone, before letting out a heavy sigh. "I never thought I'd ever see a Mobian in the flesh before, and I certainly didn't think any Mobians I ever did meet would be anything like Cream... look, I know what your kind thinks of mine, but I'd like to think at the very least that when confronted with a terrified and lonely kid that it isn't too much of a stretch to believe that people would generally do the right think regardless of what species are involved."

"You rescuing the girl is not what astonishes me; it's the fact that you two remind me so much of a family is where things begin to seem perplexing," Diablo chuckled. "Though given what her little friend did to Drago, maybe I have no right to really think of the 'why' or 'how' of you and Cream," he mused lightly, and Chris glowered at the mention of the white wolf's name.

"Drago… cripes, I'd ask what his problem was, but I can't claim ignorance enough to ask that," he snorted before curiosity overtook him. "What IS his story, anyway?"

"You are so curious to know the history of one who is your enemy?"

"I can't help it… I spent the better part of a year on my own. I hate silence, and I'm curious about other people," Chris confessed. "Even people like Drago… Reynard didn't have anything good to say about him, so I was wondering how someone like him could end up with you guys and still be around. Assuming Reynard wasn't exaggerating…"

"He wasn't," Diablo stated flatly. "Reynard and I disagree on a great many things, but Drago isn't one of them. He's a bullying troublemaker, and were it up to me he'd have been thrown out of the pack within months after joining," he snorted disdainfully.

"So he wasn't born in your tribe?" Chris asked, now interested to hear what the old wolf had to say about his nemesis, even if only to be reassured he wasn't alone in thinking ill of the white wolf.

"We're not sure WHICH tribe he was born in," Diablo said with a frown, his brow furrowing. "He claims to have left them of his own free will. That alone was suspicious, and once he became a part of the pack his disobedient nature became all the more evident. True, he can be useful and smarter than you'd think for someone of his personality, but I still say he's had one chance too many."

"Leaving his tribe is a bad thing?" Chris asked, his curiosity growing by the moment. Diablo gave him a meaningful look.

"One thing you must understand about wolves is that first and foremost, community is everything," he explained gravely. "The tribe houses you, feeds you, teaches you, and it is your duty to tribe and chieftain to be loyal to the tribe and to your brothers and sisters. A wolf who obeys only himself without regard for those who are better or lesser than him is a wolf to be kept at a safe distance."

"Geeze, I didn't know you guys were so big on togetherness," Chris noted with a bit of astonishment. "But if that's the case, why hasn't Lupe just gotten rid of him?"

"Like I said, he can be useful, and we need all the help we can get in times such as these, but I worry that Lupe is giving him one chance too many," the old wolf sighed. "She believes in the best of most people, and for all there is to admire to that, I cannot help but think she is making a mistake with Drago."

"Wow," Chris murmured. "I cannot begin to describe how odd it is hearing you actually agree with Reynard on something." He recalled the bouts of bickering that had erupted between the two during the time he'd been blindfolded and led back to the Wolf Pack's hideout; he had wondered if they'd been put on Mobius for the specific purpose of opposing one another.

"Reynard is a rebellious little jackass, but if given a choice between him and Drago I'd choose him any day of the week," Diablo stated flatly. He then looked up to the skies, scrutinizing the moon and the stars above. "And now is about the right time for you to join Cream."

Chris looked up inquisitively. "Really? I don't feel tired at all… what makes you say it's time for me to get to sleep anyway?"

"Judging by the position of the moon, it's roughly nine o'clock. Gives us both good time to be on watch for roughly six hours apiece," Reynard explained sagely. Chris winced at the realization that he'd forgotten to bring a watch of all things on his journey, before gazing at Reynard in amazement.

"You can tell time by the moon?"

"And the stars, and the sun," Diablo smirked a little. "One never knows when you'll need to know something as simple as the time and find yourself without the usual tools to do it," he remarked wryly.

"Okay, okay, I get it, I'm a dependent on tech, so sue me," Chris drawled with a roll of his eyes, shaking his head as he headed off for the tent, leaving Diablo to chuckle as the old wolf took his rifle in hand, unlatching the safety.

"Sleep well while you can, boy," Diablo said in a light tone before carefully looking out to the darkness around, ears hiked and listening intently for any signs of intruders.

Entering the tent, Chris was thankful for the size of the thing; it was big enough that he could lay down comfortably inside. He didn't bother to shed his armor, long having gotten used to the sensation of wearing the metallic coverings in his sleep, and as he lay down he glanced over to the two tiny and now very much asleep forms sharing the tent with him; Cream and Cheese, nestled up against one another and without a care in the world. It was almost cavity inducing it was so sweet, and Chris could not stop himself from smiling at the two. It really was miraculous, he mused, that things could possibly turn out so perfectly for the both of them. Hope was not something Chris had enjoyed much in recent years, but looking at Cream gave him some that he desperately needed, and also made him think that maybe, just maybe, there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

With that in mind he lay down upon his back, hands behind his head, and in short order he slipped off into sleep.

Unfortunately, his dreams were anything but pleasant…

_A forest. He was surrounded by a forest, and he had no idea how he had gotten there. The trees were tall, far too tall, and their leaves blocked out all light from the world. He looked around feverishly, knowing in his heart that he was not meant to be here. Something about this was wrong, so very wrong. He screamed out for Cream, Cheese, even Diablo and no sound came from his mouth. Something behind him moved swiftly and he turned, not even catching a glimpse of the thing. He could feel sweat starting to trickle down the back of his neck. Then came the terrified cry, and his head snapped into the direction of the sound; he could see Cream, clutching at Cheese in sheer fright, her eyes wide and brimming with tears. Without even thinking Chris ran to her, kneeling down and wrapping his arms around her to hold her tight against him. He'd protect her, he'd protect her no matter what…_

…_then she was gone. All that met his arms was vapor. He staggered backwards, looking around wildly for signs of Cream, yelling for her in desperations. Then came the sound of a thud behind him, and he turned around in an instant... what he saw made him wish he hadn't. A wolf, not a mobian wolf but a wild one, unnaturally large with white fur and blazing red eyes stood before him with its face twisted into an unnatural grin that did well to show off a blade-like array of fanged teeth. Chris drew his rifle and fired at the beast, but to no avail. It lowered its head and began to slowly make its way towards him. What else could Chris do, but run…?_

…_running, speeding through the woods, not looking back, never looking back. But he could hear it. He could hear the damn thing behind him, its paws snapping leaves and twigs and thudding against the earth as it chased him. And worst of all, he could hear the words. "You can't escape me human," the voice comprised of many and he could hear Drago's own amidst the many, along with others such as Reynard, Canus, Lupe… Cream. "No matter where you go, you'll never escape me, for I am the truth." Chris made mad dashes and turns in the mazelike wood, to no avail; he could still hear it following, and hear the incessant, oozing voice that seemed to speak to his very mind. "You'll never know peace. You'll never avenge your people. You will be discarded and die alone and forgotten, as will the legacy of your entire race." Chris dared to look behind him, and to his horror he saw nothing, nothing at all. When he turned ahead, there was a white flash, the sound of armor shredding, and he flew backwards as blood trailed from the sudden wound on his chest…_

…_he was on his back, his blood was spreading over him and seeping into the earth below. The great wolf beast was now looming over him, and he could swear on all that was holy that it was grinning at him. And still it spoke to him, all the while circling him with the languid relaxation of a vulture waiting for a meal. "The Mobians will never accept you. All that awaits you in the Great Forest is doom." The beast stopped and leaned its head down to Chris, and Chris found himself lacking the energy to struggle even as the thing grinned an unnatural grin. "Face it, Chris, you're a failure…"_

"Chris…"

"…_a stinking…"_

"Chris…!"

"…_miserable…"_

_The jaws opened, and closed in around his head…_

"…_FAILURE!"_

_The jaws clamped down._

"Wake up, lad!"

Awoke Chris did, his breath hissing as he sat up suddenly, feeling something gripping his arm and out of reflex he reached out to grab at the source, whatever it might be. He looked around wildly, breathing heavily and not even noticing that he had managed to grab something… namely Diablo's left shoulder, which he held in a vice-like grip. When he calmed down, he at last took notice of the old Mobian before him, who stared at him with a tense air about him as he stared at Chris cautiously, his ears pinned to his head. Realizing what had just happened, Chris winced and released the wolf, who backed away immediately. "Aw hell, Diablo I… I'm sorry," Chris murmured weakly.

"In the future I'll take note to not disturb you while sleeping," Diablo drawled out in a whisper, rubbing where Chris had gripped him and raising a brow. Chris shook his head apologetically.

"I really am sorry, Diablo, I just…I was dreaming, and-"

"I won't ask about what you were dreaming, but I will tell you that you're not the first I've met suffering dreams like the one you were likely dreaming," Diablo stated in a no-nonsense voice. "There is nothing to apologize for… though I would have appreciated a warning that you might be so dangerous to approach when asleep," the wolf frowned, almost accusingly.

"They hadn't been acting up for a bit, I just… didn't think," Chris sighed out before maneuvering himself around Diablo and exiting out of the tent. "I'll wake you when the sun comes out, that sound about right?"

"That it does," Diablo nodded, still glancing at him warily. "You are certain you'll be able to handle this?" He asked cautiously, an unspoken inquiry as to whether or not the content of Chris' dreams were affecting his possible ability to keep a cool head during the long night ahead of him.

"Yeah, I'm certain," Chris said in a small voice, nodding to the wolf before stepping out. To his relief, Diablo still had the fire going, and without another word the wolf settled himself into the tent, while Chris walked over to his the spot where he'd sat and picked up his laser rifle, sighing heavily as he looked up towards the night's sky above him. The stars and the moon shined beautifully, their serenity mocking him to his core. _Cripes, I thought I was done with these messed up dreams, _Chris berated himself mentally. _I'm lucky Diablo didn't attack me for that… oh God, what if it had been Cream?_ Chris' blood chilled at thinking of the possibilities of what might have happened if it had been Cream rather than Diablo who had woken him up. _Would she have understood? Even if she understood, would she have forgiven me? _It brought a feeling of stark terror to the young man, and he gripped his laser rifle tightly with the kind of emotional reflex that a small child might grasp at a stuffed animal. He hadn't considered that his dreams might somehow lead him to unintentionally hurt anybody, and the prospect that he might someday accidentally harm Cream or Cheese… he whimpered to himself and shook his head violently, then forced his mind to focus on his immediate task of lookout.

It did little to help, though a small mercy was bestowed unto him that the remaining hours of the night passed by quickly and without incident. At dawn, Chris awoke the Mobians and with that, the little group resumed its journey even as questions and doubts from the night before continued to plague Chris. Though they enjoyed much of the same luck as yesterday, Chris kept his silence for much of the journey.

At least until it came time to behold their destination.

"Unbelievable…" Chris murmured in astonishment, eyes wide as he beheld the great expanse of forest and woodlands before him. He had often wondered about the Mobian tendency to dub things 'The Great So and So', but considering what he was witnessing, he could see how this particular instance was extremely appropriate… if perhaps something of an understatement. Chris had never even dreamed that there existed a forest such as this; the trees were huge, towering and impressive, making the forest where he'd found Cream look like little more than a shrub. He felt overwhelmed by the sight, and even from where he and the others were positioned he could already hear a chorus of birds from within the massive forest.

"It's beautiful," Cream cooed, and from Chris shoulder Cheese chirped out his own agreement as per the norm.

"Alright now, everybody off the pashas," Diablo announced, hoisting himself off of his mount and soon after lifting Cream off the pasha and onto the ground; soon after, he had the bags it had been carrying slung over his shoulder. Chris followed suit, while Cream stared up at Diablo with big eyes.

"We're not taking the pashas with us?" she asked, disheartened by the prospect.

"Won't we need them? Won't YOU need yours when it's time for you to leave?" Chris asked even as he hoisted his own bag over his shoulder, while Cheese flew to Cream's side.

"The pasha will be too visible in the forests, and should any of Robotnik's patrols be about they'll give us away," Diablo explained, patting his rifle and looking about warily. "We only needed the Pasha to get here quickly; I won't have trouble returning home on foot, I've made longer journeys than this."

"But…but will the Pashas be able to get, home?" Cream asked worriedly, her impossibly large eyes seeming to grow wider still. Cheese on the other hand seemed… disturbingly happy at the prospect of his competition for Cream's affections being as far away from him and his mistress as possible. Chris at that moment decided he never wanted to see a Chao smile that widely again, the sharp teeth just made it unspeakably creepy.

"They will," Diablo smiled softly, patting his Pasha on the flank. "These Pasha are half wild as it is, and even if they weren't pashas are smart, and there's plenty of grass for them to graze on in the path behind us. They'll make it back to my pack's territory with no problem, I promise."

"Okay," Cream sighed contently, and then beamed widely. "Does this mean we can see my mother now?" she asked excitedly, practically bouncing up and down on the spot.

"We still have a bit of a walk ahead, but soon, very soon," Diablo chuckled, and then let out a loud 'Hya!' and slapped his Pasha on the flank, causing it to whinny and then run off. Chris hesitantly did similar, and was thankful that the brutish animal he'd rode in on simply decided to run off as well rather than take a bite out of him for daring to strike it. Cream waved goodbye as the two pashas swiftly vanished across the horizon.

"Goodbye Pashas!" she called out cheerfully.

"Chaaao," Cheese was also waving; his expression however was one of smug victory, and Chris could have sworn there was more than a hint of sarcasm in the Chao's tone. Shaking his head, the human looked to the wolf, his own weapon in hand and a look of determination over his face.

"Alright then Diablo… lead the way."

"Come then. We're almost where we need to be," Diablo nodded back, and proceeded towards the primordial forest. Cheese and Cream bounded after Diablo giddily, while Chris trailed behind. He told himself he did it to keep watch at the back, though in the back of his mind he knew it to be a futile attempt at staving off his inevitable destination.

The inside of the forest was tranquil and beautiful, with such a wide array of plant-life that Chris could not even begin to fathom it all. Though he marched behind his friends dutifully, he couldn't help but allow his eyes to wander to and fro, spotting all the plants and creatures that his sharp eyes could catch. It was truly breathtaking… though the way the trees loomed overhead brought uncomfortable reminders to his dream from last night. He needed to distract himself from the memory, any way he could.

"You know, I thought it would smell worse," he mused out loud.

"Smell? What made you think it would smell?" Diablo asked, glancing over at Chris incredulously.

"Do trees in Overland smell?" Cream asked curiously, her expression similarly disbelieving.

"No no, it's just that with the forest so close to Robotropolis, I would have thought there'd be something a bit more, I dunno, nasty smelling about the place?" Chris shrugged.

"With your sense of smell I'm astounded you'd even notice," Diablo drawled before giving a shake of his head. "Thankfully most parts of the forest are relatively untouched by the excrement of Robotnik's city, save for those areas that are positioned the closest to Robotropolis … have either of you seen Robotropolis?"

"No," Cream shook her head.

"Me neither, not fully anyway. We sometimes managed to hack into Robotropolis' mainframe and steal a few security files, but I've never managed to see the place in the full," Chris explained. Diablo turned his head away, and his tone became grave.

"With a little luck, Cream will at least be spared the sight of it. As for you, young man, I sincerely suggest you prepare yourself for the worst. It might be enough to protect you from the horrors of that place," the wolf shook his head at the memory, though Chris was having a private, bitter laugh over it… after spending a year in a city filled with the skeleton of his friends and comrades, he had some rather severe doubts about the ability of Robotnik's capitol to somehow significantly affect him.

"If you say so… say, am I going to have to wear a blindfold again?" Chris asked. "I mean, you guys were pretty keen on making sure I couldn't find the way in or out of your hideout, won't these guys be similar?"

"Remember, they'll be expecting us, and Lupe has put in a good word for you," Diablo explained. "There will be suspicions, but I'll be more than ready to defend your trustworthiness."

"That's a relief," Chris chuckled. "I'm not sure I could handle being lead around like that again." Cream let out a small giggle before looking around, marveling at the wildflowers growing around them.

"They're all so pretty, I've never seen flowers like these before," Cream sighed out dreamily. "I hope I'll be able to come back here sometime after we settle in at Knothole."

Chris now committed the spot to memory; one way or the other, Cream WOULD get her wish. "Heh, first things first though. I'll try and find the way back here though, assuming we don't come across any flowers as nice as these."

Cream beamed in joy. "Oh thank you, Chris!" she dashed to his side to give his leg a quick hug, Cheese doing similar. "I'm so happy you decided to come with us," she sighed out happily as she walked by his side. "I always wanted a brother."

"Chao chao chao!"

"Does that make me an Uncle or something to Cheese?" Chris sniggered, even as he was touched by the admission. Lupe's words back at the caverns echoed in his memories, and with that his resolve to see this through was strengthened even as his worries began to wither away. He really needed to learn to not let his dreams affect him so badly. He looked over to Diablo. "So, how much further till we get there old timer?"

"Not that far now. We should be reaching Knothole's outer perimeter by this point," Diablo responded casually, and Cream squealed in joy… and then went stock still, her ears perking and her eyes widening. Chris halted in his tracks and looked down at her, a sudden feeling of deep worry spiking into his chest.

"Cream?" He knelt down beside her. "Cream, what's the matter-?"

"GET DOWN!" she screamed in terror, and out of reflex Chris automatically lowered himself onto his belly while Diablo dived down to join them, and it wasn't a moment too soon; a bolt of plasma flew from one of the trees, zooming past the spot where his head had been only moments ago. Thinking fast, Chris grabbed Cream and rushed over to the nearest tree, pressing his back to the side opposite from where the blast had come, looking around wildly while Diablo did similar, hiding behind a sturdy tree and scoping out any sign of hostiles that he could, the both of them immediately dropping their bags to allow further maneuverability.

"I hear them… in the trees and in the bushes, I hear the robots," Cream whimpered fearfully, clutching Cheese to her.

"Oh God damn," Chris winced. An ambush. They'd walked right into a damned ambush. Cautiously, he looked around the edge of the tree, trying to get an idea of where the blast had come from. He almost immediately caught sight of the source; from the upper canopy, a snail-like robot slithered down the side of the tree, and from a panel in its shell Chris could see a lethal looking pair of plasma blasters…. Its head raised and its dead, synthetic eyes looked straight at Chris, and he hid himself behind the tree once more as the plasma blasts resumed, thundering against the tree. Chris cursed to himself, thinking of how he was going to get a shot in when he was pinned down like this. Then, the loud 'crack' of a gunpowder rifle being fired was heard, causing Chris to nearly jump out of his boots. Hesitantly he looked around the tree and was relieved to see that the snail badnik was now destroyed, courtesy of Diablo who glared at the remains of the thing. "Nice going there Diablo!" he complimented before kneeling down to Cream and holding her by the arms. "This is very important Cream," he said urgently. "How many are there? How many can you hear?"

"Don't know how many," she sniffed, clearly terrified. "B-But they're all heading here!" she squeaked out, and Chris' eyes widened. Robotnik had always programmed his machines to kill humans on sight back in Overland, could this programming have held out even so far away from home? Standing up quickly, he pointed to Diablo.

"Run to Diablo, he'll protect you! Don't question it, just run!"

Without argument, she scooped up a petrified Cheese and made a mad dash for the older wolf, and Chris hoped he was right in his assessment about the badniks converging on him. He barely had time to think this over; a nearby bush rustled, and something leapt out towards him, some kind of metal centipede that had been studded with blades. The badnik opened its fierce looking mandibles, and with a yelp Chris opened fire; down it went, blown to pieces. He had no time to savor this victory; another one leapt out at him, this one managing to bite down at the midsection of his rifle. Screaming in outrage, Chris felt a sudden pain at his shin area and was suddenly violently tugged, forcing him onto his back. From the corner of his eye he saw another centipede badnik biting down at his shin, with only the shin guard to save Chris' leg from being severed in two.

He thrashed about, while the badnik that had latched onto his rifle positioned itself on his chest and with a feral hiss dove forward, aiming its lethal jaws towards Chris' neck. Chris reached out frantically, managing to catch the badnik's head, grunting in pain as he tried to force the thing away while its companion still bit at his shin, feeling it even through the armored shinguard he wore. He then heard Cream screaming, Diablo swearing and the sound of gunshots. Desperation fueling him, he tossed the first badnik away with a harsh yell and sat up, grabbing his gun and firing at the badnik that was attempting to gnaw his leg off before disposing of its sibling in similar manner.

Leaping to his feet he turned around to face Diablo, and was satisfied to see that the old wolf had taken down a few of the centipede badniks as well. Cream was safely behind him and holding tightly on to Cheese, tears streaming down her cheeks while Diablo panted and looked around harshly. "That all you got?" he yelled out defiantly, while Chris wiped his brow.

"We got to get a move on now!" he yelled towards Diablo.

"Oh no shit, I hadn't thought of that!" Diablo snapped back, disregarding that he had just swore in front of a young child. He waved Chris over. "Come on, we've got to get moving before more of them show up!"

Chris nodded and began to run towards them. "Works for-!" Suddenly, the leaves above rustled, several fell down, and something leapt before Chris and Diablo. The both of them were mobian sized, mantis-like badniks with long, cruel looking blades attached to their arms. Chris could appreciate this detail for only a split second before the mantis badnik before him lunged towards him, the blades swinging blindingly fast as it tried to cut Chris into ribbons. Chris brought his rifle up, only for the little menace before him to successfully land a surprisingly powerful blow against his weapon, knocking it right out his hands before focusing itself on him exclusively. The machine was fast and Chris now knew the ease with which the false mantis could slice through him. He leapt backwards, frantically dodging the lethal blades… but it would not last. A forward jab managed to partially connect with his side, slicing through his armor and flesh. Chris screamed in pain, hand clutching his bleeding side before the mantis renewed assault forced him to roll to away in order to avoid another lethal blow. Growling in anger, he used his free hand to unsheathe the knife he kept in his boot, and he glared at the mantis as he forced himself back to his feet. The machine let out a series of chittering clicks before spreading its clawed arms and rushing towards him once more. With careful aim, Chris tossed the knife at the little brute, the blade imbedding itself into its head… deep enough to give it pause, but not deep enough to penetrate its CPU. That is until Chris leapt forward with a kick, driving the knife all the way through the mantis badnik's head. Chris chuckled grimly before hissing, clutching at his wound to stave the bleeding, deeply thankful that he and Diablo had brought medical supplies…

_Diablo… Cream! _His eyes shot open in the realization that he'd been so preoccupied with his fight that he hadn't taken notice of how the wolf had been fairing. Turning around he looked about wildly for signs of the old wolf. He tried and failed not to panic, seeing neither hide nor hair of the wolf or the rabbit or the Chao, and he felt tears sting at the corners of his eyes as the horrific possibility entered his mind of what might have happened to them. "Diablo! Cream! Talk to me!" he shouted out desperately, hissing in pain and leaning against a nearby tree for support.

"Chris! Over here!"

Chris shot to attention, his head turning to face the source of the sound. Looking haggard but victorious none the less, Diablo stood tall (at least as tall as his frame would allow), using his rifle not unlike a crutch while an equally ruffled Cream and Cheese stood beside him, the both of them shaken looking but unharmed. Nearby, the utterly destroyed remains of the mantis bot could be seen. "Are you injured?" he called out as he began to approach.

"Yep," Chris hissed out. "Just glad you three are alright… where the hell did you go?" he asked as he stood up and began to make his way towards his supply bag.

"The damn bug tangled me up in close quarters; I had to grapple and roll around with the little piece of crap just to keep my head attached," Diablo growled out, angered by the memory. "Cream though, she attacked it, distracted it enough so that I could shoot it!"

"WHAT?" Chris yelled in horror, turning around nearly a foot away from the bag and staring at Cream in disbelief. "You did what? What the hell were you thinking? You could have been killed!"

Cream flinched, but stood her ground all the same. "That horrible robot was…was going to hurt Mister Diablo, if Cheese and I didn't do something he-!"

"Enough!" Chris snapped, raising his hand and then wincing. "You…you're right Cream, he might have died if not for you, but for the love of God don't do anything like that again," his expression softened down to the girl, who was rubbing at the corner of her eye to dry a forming tear. "I… you just scared me a lot right now, that's all," he sighed out. "I don't mean to yell, but right now I'm hurt, scared for you, and there might be more of these freaks coming in after us. We have to-"

There was a sudden 'thwip' sound, the kind of sound made an arrow flying through the air.

Something struck him in the back, attaching itself to his armor with a 'plink' sound.

He had just enough time to think "Uh oh," before the sensation of pain exploded from his back, and he realized he was screaming. Electricity coursed through his body, white flashes dancing along his vision as his senses played host to an entire new world of pain. He could no longer hear himself scream or see straight as he fell to his knees, his body convulsing violently. When it finished, his vision danced in and out of darkness as a pained groan escaped him and he slumped forward.

He could see Cream and Diablo running towards him, the both of them terrified.

He saw figures emerging from the woods… several mobian squirrels, chipmunks and mice, clad in brown berets, brown combat vests and armed to the teeth. They were aiming their weapons at him, Cream was trying to get to Chris and he could hear her screaming and crying for him, but a large woodchuck was preventing her from reaching him.

Another figure entered field of vision, but he could not make out a species… he could see Diablo as well, he looked furious, but only a few snippets of what was being said could reach his ears.

"…told you we…"

"…intruding…"

"…we are not…!"

"…overlander filth…!"

Chris groaned again, shuddering in pain, feeling lightheaded. He looked up once more, and he now had a better view of the mysterious mobian in front of him; it was a skunk, a mobian skunk with a crossbow mounted on his arm, and he was glaring down at Chris with all the hatred and disdain that he could possibly have mustered. His lips moved, and he heard the words spoken and the odd accent with which they were spoken.

"Take the ugly brute in. We'll be needin' him for questionin'…"

It was at that point that the combination of blood loss and electrocution, and Chris fell into unconsciousness.

His last thoughts before the blackness overtook him were simple, but sweet.

_Cream is safe. Cream is safe._

He felt something vaguely like contentment, and then… nothingness.


	12. Reunion

**Disclaimer: **Ye gads, could it be? A Chapter done BEFORE the span of a month? Truly, this IS the year that the Earth Ends… oh well, at least I made it this far with this tale. Just a little something to cap off the end of Spring Break. Once more, massive props to my beta reader, for whom without this story would be even cruddier then it already is. Anyway, time for the obligatory disclaimers; I own nothing, nothing at all in this fic, it's all SEGA, Archie, and DIC, and I do this for entertainment rather than profit, and claim no copyright. Erik was not made up by me, he appeared in the Comics and Saturday morning show once or twice.

**A Difficult Road Travelled**

**Chapter Twelve: Reunion**

It was a pleasant day in Knothole, as pleasant as any other could be for a village hidden right under the ominous shadow of Robotropolis. The villagers went about their days, maintaining their hours with chores or odd jobs or simply socializing with one another, years spent out of sight from the planet's tyrant granting the village a sense of ease and normalcy normally not seen in many communities these days. Even those who wore the mark of Robotnik's evil on them could momentarily forget the horrors that laid in wait beyond the village and the forest, horrors of machinery and science and industry taken to the most horrible conclusion imaginable. Such was the case for one Bunnie Rabbot. A beautiful young rabbit with golden fur originally hailing from the southern regions of the past Kingdom of Acorn, like so many before her she herself had experienced firsthand the terrors of the Roboticizer… unlike those who'd gone before her, she had escaped with her freedom intact, even if her body now stood at uncomfortable half-way point between Mobian and Robian. Gazing at her now however, humming a southern tune as she worked in her vegetable garden, one could almost forget her mechanical limbs and the sordid story behind them as she contently set about her current task without any kind of care in all of Mobius.

The peace and quiet was suddenly, though not quite unexpectedly, interrupted by a blue blur, followed by a gust of wind and a triumphant chortle.

"Freedom Fighters One: Robuttnik Zero!"

The self-named Rabbot didn't even look up from her work, so used was she to such events. She instead simply smiled and continued her work even as she spoke. "Mission was a success then, Sug?" she asked pleasantly.

"As if you had to ask," Sonic said with a smirk as he glanced down at his comrade, green eyes practically aglow from the high of his most recent victory, his face breaking out into a wide grin. "Have I mentioned that I love solo missions? No? Well, lemme repeat; I LOVE solo missions!"

Bunnie chuckled and looked up at him. "Ah'd have never guessed," she drawled, playfully sarcastic. "Ah take it you had fun givin' ol giblet head the run around?"

"Oh, like you would NOT believe," Sonic grinned. "You shoulda been there, Bunnie, if only to see the look on his face when I brought that convoy of his crashing down; literally looked like his head was gonna explode this time around, I swear!"

The rabbot let out a small laugh. "Sounds like it was a blast Sugah-Hog," she then gave a challenging smirk. "Course, now Ah gotta make sure Ah do even better next solo mission Ah end up getting, now won't Ah?"

"You might do as much damage as me, but I'll always have the edge when it comes to pissin' off blubberbolts," Sonic shot back playfully, before an uncharacteristically uncertain expression came across his face. "Ah… I gotta ask… how's she doin'?"

Bunnie knew who 'she' was and let out a sigh. "She's doin' alright sug, all things considered… it ain't your fault, ya know," she gave him a serious look as she finished her planting and began to stand up, a small frown on her face, her ears pinned back. Sonic snorted, crossing his arms over his chest as a self-recriminating glare came over his face.

"Easy for you to say, you didn't end up gettin' her hopes up," he muttered, Bunnie's frown deepening in response.

"Now don't you be talkin' like that, hun," Bunnie placed her hands to her hips. "She knew it were a long shot even when ya offered to go lookin' for Cream. She don't blame you for not finding her, and neither should you."

"Doesn't mean I don't feel guilty about it," Sonic sighed out, rubbing the back of his head. Bunnie gave him a sympathetic glance, reaching out to pat his shoulder with her organic hand.

"Sugah-hog, Vanilla knows ya did everythin' ya could have for her, and that's all she could ask from ya," she said with a small smile. "It's all I could ask from ya as well. Ya have to stop beatin' yerself up over this honey, otherwise yer gonna drive yerself downright batty!"

Sonic took in a deep breath and let out a long heavy sigh before finally allowing himself to smile a little. "Heh, alright, you talked me into it; I'll start trying to put it behind me," he said as he looked her in the eye. Bunnie beamed, giving him a hearty pat on the back with care, minding his spines.

"Now that's the sugah-hog Ah know," she laughed out. "Though since yer around an' all, Ah don't supposed you'd be willing ta help me get my latest 'pickins to the storage hut?" she waved her hand over a small pile of vegetables that were ripe and ready for consumption. "There's an awful lot of 'em here, and it'd be mighty convenient if you-"

"SOOOOONIC!"

Both hedgehog AND rabbit jerked and turned their heads suddenly to face the source of the interruption. Up in the air an orange form was speeding towards them, twin tails rapidly twirling like the blades of a helicopter in their owner's mad dash to reach them. The airborne fox was soon on his feet and physically running towards the two, stopping to catch his breath as he reached the both of them.

"Man, Tails, where's the fire?" Sonic chuckled out as his friend tried to collect himself.

"What's got ya so excited, hun?" Bunnie asked, concerned by the fox kit's sudden arrival.

Tails looked up at the both of them, still panting lightly even as he spoke excitedly, wildly gesturing behind me. "That girl you were looking for, Cream… she's been found! She's here in Knothole!"

"WHAT?" Both Sonic and Bunnie yelled out at the same time, their expressions mirrors of pure shock. Surely, what the kit was saying was too good to be true…

Tails nodded rapidly before continuing breathlessly. "St. John came in from patrol with an overlander captured, Diablo was with them, and they had Cream-!" At the word 'overlander' both of the older Mobians snapped to attention.

"An overlander? There was an OVERLANDER with 'em?" Sonic asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah, there was!" Tails explained with wide eyes. "He was with Diablo and Cream and St. John stunned him! Cream and Diablo and this weird little blue thing are at the command hut, and oh MAN, is Diablo ticked off!"

"Oh man," Sonic winced, and then looked over to Bunnie. "Bunnie, if you could-?"

"Already on it, sug!" She nodded and promptly ran off, while Sonic took his young friend by the arm and without another word sped off for the command hut with his friend in tow, still scarcely believing what he'd just heard. Between Cream not only being found but an overlander being involved as well, it almost sounded too weird to be true. However, he also knew Tails wasn't the sort to simply make up something like this, and he sincerely hoped his lil' bro was correct. Within moments the two were before the command hut, and Sonic noted two things; the small crowd of Mobians outside of the hut, and the fact that he could hear some intense arguing even from where he stood.

"Oooh boy," he winced.

"I told you Diablo was ticked off," Tails murmured, ears flinching as he heard the noise from within the hut spike up some.

"You really weren't kiddin' there, little bro," Sonic remarked dryly before maneuvering himself around the gathered Mobians, Tails by his side as always. When he made his way to the front he turned to face the crowd, mustering up as much authority as he could manage. "Awright folks, nothin' to see here! Get back to whatever it is you were doin' before this!"

"Doesn't sound like nothing!" A dog piped up from the crowd, murmurs of agreement following. "They say there's an overlander in the village, is that true?"

"Beats me," Sonic shrugged. "Whatever's going on in there ain't any of your business, and Sal'll tell ya everything to ya need to know when it comes time for that, so just clear out and wait for any news on what's going on, kay?"

To Sonic's immense relief, the words seemed to placate the crowd and slowly, they dispersed. Once gone, the hedgehog let out a sigh and proceeded to enter the hut, Tails following after him. Already he could hear the intense arguing going on in the war room.

"-our chieftess contacted you ahead of time! We TOLD you we were coming here!"

"Diablo, I'm telling you that we received no such message from Lupe. If you would please just calm down and let us-"

"To hell with that! You bring an overlander into the Great Forest, you got no right to expect anything other than what the hairless blighter got!"

"Oh yes, because everyone who you don't like is EXACTLY the same as Robotnik!"

_Tails wasn't kiddin', sheesh,_ Sonic thought to himself as both he and Tails silently came upon the scene. Diablo was there, bristling with anger as he exchanged harsh words with an equally enraged looking Geoffrey St. John, while caught between two was none other than Princess Sally Acorn herself, looking as weary as any as she set herself about the unenviable task of playing peacekeeper between the two. Leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, Sonic kept his silence as the dispute continued.

"Diablo, please believe me when I say we didn't receive ANY kind of message from your pack," Sally stated patiently as she looked up at the old wolf. "I don't doubt that Lupe SENT a message, but the fact is _we _never received it."

"Even if she did send the message…" he sneered before continuing, "… She should've bloody well known better then to send an overlander here," St. John sneered, prompting a harsh glare from Diablo.

"That 'overlander's' name is Chris," the wolf snapped. "The fact that Lupe trusted him enough to allow me to show him to Knothole should tell you enough about the kind of man he is, to say nothing of the fact you wouldn't have even found the girl if not for-!"

"And you're correct, Diablo," Sally cut in. "At least a few of our citizens owe this Chris big time for finding Cream. This is all just a very horrible misunderstanding and I implore the both of you to just calm down."

"Oh for crying out loud, he's an _overlander_," the skunk groaned out with massive irritation, as if explaining elementary logic to a child. "Just because Lupe hasn't got enough sense to know not to trust one of them doesn't mean the rest of us are gonna fall for his game!"

Sally winced at the insult, already sensing Diablo's anger, as his eyes widened in shock for before narrowing, and his ears pinning to his head as a growl began to emanate from his throat. "What was that, _mofeta_?" he snarled dangerously, glaring daggers at the aforementioned '_mofeta_' while Geoffrey glared right back at him.

"I'm sayin' that I don't know what this overlander is pulling…" Geoffrey began slowly, "but I'm not about to let him kill us all, and on top of that, your chieftain ought to get her head examined!" Geoffrey challenged. Now it was Sally's turn to let her temper go.

"That is ENOUGH out of you, Geoffrey!" she snapped angrily, actually causing the skunk to flinch a little. For Diablo however it wasn't enough to satisfy him; the old wolf's growls grew louder and he rounded upon the smaller mobian, fangs now bared and his posture ready to go on the attack.

It was at that moment that Sonic decided to make his presence known, and in a flash he was in between Diablo and Geoffrey, smiling pleasantly despite the tense situation. "Whoa whoa whoa, simmer down there buddy," Sonic said, placing his hand up to halt Diablo in his tracks.

"Stand aside, hedgehog. This bastard has insulted the honor of my chief and my pack, and for that he must pay," Diablo growled out dangerously, still glaring intently at the skunk. For his part, Sonic just chuckled lightly.

"Believe me, I'd LOVE to just sit back and watch you pound St. John into hamburger meat, really I would," Sonic said in honesty, "But I can't… come on, Diablo, you really gonna let St. Jerk get to you like this? He ain't worth the time or effort, trust me."

Geoffrey bristled at the insult, opening his mouth to offer a rebuttal before withering away from a harsh glance from Sally. Diablo's lip curled as he let out another light growl, for a moment looking as though he was seriously contemplating simply shoving Sonic aside and proceeding to rip St. John into pieces before relenting, straightening his posture and glancing down at the hedgehog evenly. "You… are correct, Sonic. The little _hijo de puta_ wouldn't be worth picking out of my teeth," he took a moment to give St. John the most disdainful glare that he could manage. It was at that moment that Tails decided to make his presence known.

"So…what happened exactly? Is Cream alright?" All heads turned to face the young fox. He shrank back slightly at the sudden attention before pressing onward, approaching the other Freedom Fighters present. Sally was the first to answer him.

"Diablo tells us that Cream was found by an overlander, who later tried to find a home for her… they Wolf Pack came across them and Lupe decided to send them our way. Along the way they came across a badnik patrol, and St. John stunned the overlander thinking he was a threat," Sally explained, still stunned at this turn of events… she'd never once heard of anything like what Diablo had informed them. "Lupe apparently sent us a message, but it never got here," she sighed out. She would have to check with Rotor or even Tails himself about what could have gone wrong.

"As for whether or not she's alright, that largely depends on your definition of the word," Diablo interjected crossly. "Physically she's quite alright, but considering she just saw a very close friend of hers get shot with a stunner bolt shortly after being wounded in a combat situation…" his eyes trailed over to St. John, who simply snorted in dismissal and rolled his eyes.

"Which is why we're going to check on her now," Sally nodded, looking over to Sonic. "I take it you informed Bunnie?"

"Yup, she's getting Vanilla even as we speak," Sonic shrugged.

"Where IS Cream anyway?" Tails looked around curiously.

"She's with Rosie in the other room. And since the issue concerning the incident in the woods has been settled, we're going to check on her," Sally explained with a smile before giving a harsh look to St. John. "You however will stay here, commander. When this is all finished with, we are going to have a good, long discussion concerning your actions, understand me?"

St. John frowned, gripping his fists as he shook slightly, but otherwise held his tongue, giving a curt nod to the princess. "Good," she muttered and began to head out the door. Sonic allowed himself a moment to smirk at his rival's misfortune before following after, Diablo and Tails doing the same as the group headed down the halls of the command hut. Soon enough, they reached one of the auxiliary rooms of the hut, where Rosie awaited with a forlorn looking Cream and Cheese. Recognition sparked in the young rabbit's eyes upon seeing Diablo, and she immediately got to her feet and rushed over to grab at the wolf's legs, hugging tightly.

"Mister Diablo!" she called out as she held onto the wolf. "I was worried when I heard the yelling and… and is Chris okay? Where's Chris?" she looked up at him with wide, pleading eyes, Cheese immediately by her side and echoing her sentiments. Sally knelt down by the child, gently placing her hand to the girl's shoulder and giving the most disarming smile she could muster.

"He's currently being patched up by Doctor Quack. He's very good at his job, and your friend will be fine," she spoke soothingly, recalling that St. John had mentioned having 'the Overlander' taken to Quack's so he could be patched up for a later interrogation. Not quite a fib, but it was perhaps best the girl knew only certain details.

Cream sniffed a little, releasing the wolf to gaze up at the adults present. It was when her eyes came upon Sonic that a phantom of recognition came across her face. "Are…are you Sonic the Hedgehog?" she asked innocently, and the aforementioned hedgehog gave a small smile.

"The one and only, kiddo… and we're really, really sorry this happened," he offered up gently, though he did raise a brow as Cheese floated on up to give him a closer examination.

"We know now that Lupe sent a message to tell us about you, and about your friend," Sally further elaborated. "Something went wrong though, and it never came through."

"He's not a bad person!" Cream suddenly shouted, causing the princess to back off slightly. "That skunk, he says Chris is evil, but he isn't! Chris isn't bad, he saved me!"

"Child, they know that now; I've done much to tell them of what happened," Diablo stated patiently. "Everything will be fine from here on in, you will see."

"O….okay," Cream murmured, looking down at the floor and sounding somewhat dejected. Cheese let out a soothing coo and floated by her side, taking her arm in hand and giving a quick, comforting nuzzle. Cream gave a tiny, shaky smile to the Chao before looking up at the assembled adults once more. "Can…can I see my-?"

"Cream?" a voice spoke out, hushed in tone and yet holding an effect not unlike thunder. Heads turned and the adults parted ways to make room for the newcomer; a rabbit in a white and lavender dress styled after the fashions of the southern regions of the Kingdom, and almost identical in appearance to the young girl in the room. "Is that you?" she asked, sounding as if she scarcely believed the reality.

Cream's eyes widened. "…Momma?"

"Cream!" Vanilla cried out, and without even thinking the two rabbits made a beeline for one another, Cream leaping into her mother's open arms and receiving a desperate, heartfelt hug from her mother, one that was eagerly returned. Vanilla quickly fell to her knees, and grateful sobbing swiftly followed from the both of them.

"I was so scared; I thought I'd never see you again!" Cream cried out as she nuzzled her mother, letting the tears run freely while Cheese held onto the both of them. Vanilla forced herself to calm down a little, smiling even as she her tears flowed, looking her daughter in the eyes as she spoke.

"So did I, I just about lost hope… but now that you're here, I promise I'll never let you go, ever again," she said, tightening her hug around Cream for emphasis. Bunnie Rabbot, who had followed in after Vanilla, smiled down at the sight feeling a bit blurry eyed herself. Vanilla wiped her own eyes and looked over at the others present, her eyes resting upon Diablo. "You…were you the one who found her?"

Diablo frowned. "I was not. She was found by-"

"Chris!" Cream yelped with wide eyes. "He's still hurt! Momma, you have to believe me, Chris isn't a bad person just because he's a human, he isn't!"

"A…A human?" Vanilla blinked in confusion. A human had saved her daughter? How had THAT happened?

She was still attempting to process this new revelation when yet another newcomer made his presence known. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything, but I have news for the princess."

It was Doctor Quack, carrying a clipboard in hand and his brow raised high at the spectacle before him. Sonic smirked and looked over to the waterfowl, arms crossed. "Nothin' much doc, just a tearful reunion," he drawled out. "What's up?"

"Er, yes. I see," Quack murmured before turning to face Sally. "I am here to inform you that the, ah… visitor brought in by Commander St. John has been stabilized and subsequently detained. Despite my objections," here he frowned in disapproval. "I managed to stop his bleeding. However he needs more than a simple patch job for a cut like that."

Sally groaned and rubbed the bridge between her eyes. "I see," she murmured and then gave an authoritative look to the doctor. "Return to the hospital and prep, immediately," she then looked to Cream, her expression softening some. "Cream… I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am this has happened, but I'm going to go and make sure your friend is alright," her gaze then turned to the others. "Everybody just stay put until I return."

Without even waiting for a response, the princess swiftly ran out of the command hut and towards the holding area. It was mostly just a few jail cells meant to keep hold of troublemakers as punishment, nothing serious as, well, this. Located at the far edge of the village, it was a utilitarian and somewhat forbidding looking building made from brick and mortar unlike the majority of the other buildings in Knothole. At the front door stood a tall, well-muscled Mobian horse, Erik, arms crossed over his chest as he took to his appointed task for the moment with all the professionalism he could muster. His serious demeanor broke the instant Sally approached, blinking in confusion. "Princess? What are you doing here?"

"I would ask the same about you, Erik," she sighed out. "I'm here to talk to the prisoner. Please let me in."

"Are you sure you wanna?" Erik asked with a raised brow. "He's an overlander, princess. Commander St. John said-"

"Commander St. John overstepped his authority by having him imprisoned without informing me that he'd been captured at all," Sally cut in, her tone brooking no room for argument. Erik swallowed hard and stood aside a moment later, an uneasy expression on his face. "Thank you, Erik," Sally smiled before making her way into the jail, her eyes seeking out and soon locating the keys to the cells. She took them in hand, and Erik chose this moment to speak up once more.

"Princess, no, I can't- I know what you're thinking, but you shouldn't," Erik said as he entered after her, trying to be firm. "He's not just an overlander, but he's also been injured and isn't going to respond well to seeing a Mobian. I can't let you go in there to let him out, it isn't safe."

Sally sighed, turning to face the worried horse. "Erik," she began diplomatically. "I can understand your concern, but I wouldn't let him go if I thought there would be a threat to myself or anyone else. All I can ask is that you trust my judgment here; he helped return a lost Mobian child to her mother. That should hopefully tell us a lot about what kind of person he is, overlander or not."

"He helped return a kid?" Erik asked, surprised by the revelation. He winced, rubbing the back of his head. "Commander St. John didn't mention that…"

"Why am I not surprised?" Sally drawled out, shaking her head before smiling up at Erik. "Just trust me, Erik."

"Okay…" Erik sighed out, before regaining a bit of his former fire. "If anything happens though, all bets are off."

"Hopefully it won't come to that," Sally murmured gravely before turning away and heading deeper into the jail, directly into the holding cell area. It didn't take her long to locate the current 'guest' of Knothole's jail; in the corner cell furthest from the entrance was the oft mentioned Chris. He'd been propped up onto his knees, heavy and thick manacles clamped around his wrists and neck, tied against the floor. Even if he were conscious, he would have been forced to remain kneeling. Sally winced at the sight of him; he was shirtless, his midsection hastily bandaged and a red blot could be seen through, in addition to the various lightly-colored scars that were visible on his body and arms. _What kind of life has he lived? _She wondered to herself as she opened up his cell. He didn't look that much older than her (it was hard to tell, she had little experience with humans outside of Robotnik and Snively), and she could only begin to imagine the kind of experiences he'd had to gain so many marks. It was only moments after she'd opened his cell door that he began to groan and awaken, the sudden sound causing Sally to flinch but not to run. Standing before the awakening human she quickly slipped the keys into the inner pocket of her vest, and stood her ground before Chris. Kneeling down like this they were at eye level.

The human winced slightly as he opened his eyes slowly, his vision somewhat blurry as he returned to the waking world, his head and side hurting. "Ugh… where…?" he tried to move, and instead found himself unable to as the sound of clinking metal reached his ears. His eyes shot open in alarm, gazing around in a panic. "What the-?" it was then that he saw Sally standing before him, and immediately stopped his panic attack in its inception as he put the pieces together, and suddenly slackened before her, glaring flatly. "…hell," he grumbled out. "I suppose that I'm your prisoner, then." He did not ask so much as state it for the ugly reality he was expecting.

The redhead gazed up at him, coughing into her hand lightly. "Technically, yes, but I didn't authorize it," she said evenly. Chris cocked his head in confusion. "The person responsible for this acted without consulting me first, and while I can't honestly say that I might have responded any better, you have to understand-"

"Are you Princess Sally Acorn?" he asked suddenly, eyes narrowing in suspicion. Sally winced, hoping that this could have been put off for a bit longer, but it seemed that it would be no use doing so. Taking in a calming breath, she looked the human squarely in the eye.

"Yes, I am," she stated truthfully, feeling her blood run cold as Chris' frown deepen. "I… hope that won't be a problem," she murmured. Chris for his part continued to stare at her, glowering heavily before he let out a sigh of his own, his tense body slackening.

"No… no, it won't," he stated in a tired, almost defeated tone of voice. "I promised Lupe that I wouldn't make it a problem," he explained as he faced her. "Didn't she tell you about us? That we were coming?"

"We never got the message," Sally explained sadly. "If we had, your reception wouldn't have turned out like this. Diablo and Cream both told us about you… Cream was very worried."

"She's a sweet girl," Chris chuckled, then winced as the pain in his side flared up. "So then, if that's the case why am I still in chains?"

"I was actually about to release you before you woke up, but before that I had to know for certain if you could be trusted," Sally said. "Diablo's word is pretty good, but I'm still curious… why did you go to so much effort on Cream's behalf?" Chris's expression of amusement at thinking of Cream changed quickly into a look of frustration and pain.

"Is it really so difficult to believe that maybe, just maybe, I'm capable of empathy towards others who aren't the same species as me?" Chris asked in annoyance, before forcing himself back into calm and began to tell his sorry story once more. "Her situation reminded me of my own. I lost my home and my parents to Robotnik, and over the years I lost everything else as well…" He swallowed as he tried to steel himself for the most painful part of his story. "To… to my knowledge, I am probably the last human alive," he hung his head as he let his plight be known. "When I met Cream, I couldn't help but see some of myself in her… and I knew I could do right for her, and I hoped to find others of her kind so that she might be able to have something close to a normal life," he looked up to face the princess. "It was only through sheer dumb luck that I came across Lupe and the wolves, and they sent us your way."

Sally looked up at him for a moment, her expression inquisitive and at the same time holding a terrible sadness and guilt. She'd long had to live with the fact that her father's trust of Julian had led to so much of the horror and tragedy that had been inflicted upon her people, and Chris' tale served to further hammer home what her father's misplaced trust had wrought. She didn't dare try to picture what had driven the human to such extremes. Without another word she pulled the key from her vest and in rapid succession unlocked the manacles around his wrists and neck. Swiftly removing them, Chris soon got to his feet, easily towering over the Mobian princess and causing her to reflexively take a step back. Even wounded an unarmed, it would have been an easy task for him to snap her in two.

Chris looked down at her for a moment, his expression uncertain. And then, with perhaps a bit of hesitance, he offered up his hand in greeting. "Chris Thorndyke of the House of Galileo, your majesty," he offered up curtly. Sally smiled, taking the much larger hand in her own and giving a gentle shake.

"Sally Acorn, and I wouldn't bother with the honorifics… my title hasn't meant much in a long while," she managed, cracking a light joke at her expense, something that caused Chris to regard her with a mild bit of surprise as he withdrew his hand from her own.

"I'll confess, even with Lupe's description… you're not what I was expecting," he stated, before giving a very small smile. "You'll forgive me for expecting the worst. It's all I've been able to count on for a long time," he murmured apologetically.

"Given how things have started out here for you here, I can't say you'd be unjustified," Sally sighed out before looking to his wounded side. "And before we can do anything else, we need to get you back to the medical hut. You were healed up enough to stop the bleeding, but our doctor tells us you're in need of further work."

"Does he know how to work on humans?" Chris asked in concern.

"I can't answer that, but it's not like you have much of a choice in the matter," Sally stated firmly. Chris had to concede her that much, but the thought of allowing a Mobian such easy access to him, within reach of various sharp, pointy medical instruments… he let out a momentary shudder before swallowing his fear.

"Point taken… lead the way, then," he stated stiffly.

"Come on," she waved him over as she turned and exited the jail cell, and Chris obediently followed. They passed by Erik (who watched Chris with the intensity of a hawk) and soon headed into the main village itself. Experiences back at the Wolf Pack's hideaway had prepared him for the inevitable, but even still it felt disconcerting to be subject to the reactions he was getting. Various Mobians halted in their tracks, staring at Chris; a few curious, most scornful. He could hear whispering and murmurs already, quiet enough that he couldn't hear the precise insults and words likely being used to describe him. At that moment he was thankful for the princess; he doubted that he'd have lasted so long walking by his own.

Soon enough they came across the medical hut, distinguishable from the others thanks to the medical flag sticking from the top of it (it was a strange thing how both humans AND Mobians associated a red cross with healing), and in short time Chris was entrusted to the care of Dr. Quack while Sally went off to discuss a few things concerning Chris' stay in Knothole. Left alone with the man who would be responsible for healing him, Chris could find only one thing to say as he lay atop the medical bench.

"Doctor…Quack?" he asked in disbelief, prompting a small chuckle from the avian doctor.

"Oh, I know what you're thinking. I can promise you, my name is scarcely an indicator of my level of competence as a doctor," Dr. Quack explained as he washed his hands (wings?) in a nearby sink, the tools for the coming surgery right beside Chris on a medical tray. "Granted, it wouldn't take a particularly skilled doctor to tell you're in need of stitches," he noted as he looked over his shoulder to the now uncovered wound on Chris' side.

"Not the first time I've had them," Chris sighed out before looking to the doctor questionably. "Do you know anything about the human body?"

Finished with his hands, Dr. Quack was in the process of placing a pair of latex gloves on. "Prior to my role here as Knothole's chief medic, I was the chief physician to King Acorn himself, and during the Great War I was also in charge of looking after Warlord Julian's health," he let out a sad sigh at the mention of that name. "If I knew then what I know now I may have done something to violate my Healer's Oath… but to answer your question, I know enough. Human physiology is similar enough to chimpanzee physiology that I can help you," he turned to face Chris, pulling a syringe and small bottle from his table. "Anasthesia," he clarified to the wary human, who let out a heavy sigh and rested his head back, staring up at the ceiling.

"I'm going to have to get used to the idea of letting you work on me, aren't I?" he asked somewhat glumly, not even flinching as the needle went in.

"I'm afraid you're quite out of luck in that department, fellow," Quack conceded as he waited for the anesthetic to take effect, focusing his efforts in the meantime of threading a medical needle. "If it eases your mind any, you should know that my Oath is the same that a human doctor would swear under," he mentioned idly, something that caught Chris' attention.

"Really?" he asked, turning his head to face the duck. The doctor smiled and looked up at the human.

"I'm being quite honest; the teachings of the Healer's Oath were learnt under the same man, the same _human_ man, who cared little for what species his students were," he nodded before finishing up tying the medical wire to the needle. "I have lived my entire life by the Healer's Oath… I would help you, even if you were Robotnik himself."

"You're… a bigger man then me, that's for certain," Chris muttered as he resumed looking up at the ceiling, deciding to take mental note that the unfortunately named doctor could be counted among those Mobians who might be sympathetic to him, very fortunate considering he was also the only one who would know how to heal him in case of an emergency. He chose to focus on this, rather than the mild outrage he felt at the idea of anybody extending any kind of mercy towards Robotnik.

"Alright then, the anesthetic should be taking effect by now," Quack murmured as he observed the wound. "Tell me, do you feel anything?"

"Nope…I can't feel much of anything," Chris confirmed neutrally, patiently awaiting Quack to begin.

"Good," Quack murmured and placed his map up. "Now, just keep looking at the ceiling, and think of pleasant things," he ordered as he neared the wound, threaded needle in hand, and Chris allowed his mind to wander away from the subject at hand.

And while the esteemed doctor worked on his newfound patient, elsewhere in the command hut discussions were abound concerning Knothole's newcomer… specifically, how to keep him.

"With all due respect your highness, you're out of your mind if you think the villagers will accept keepin' here in Knothole," St. John hissed to the other Mobians assembled, prompting a snort from Sonic.

"Why are you here again, Johnny boy?" he drawled out sardonically. "I thought Sal put you in time out?" Geoffrey fixed Sonic with a hateful glare.

"I'm here because the security of this village is my job, something I happen to be very good at, unlike certain glory houndin' hedgehogs who think that just because they can bloody well get a move on that they-!"

"Cool it, both of you," Sally snapped, looking to Sonic. "St. John isn't off the hook for going over my head like that, but I can also get a realistic look at the problems of keeping Chris here in the village through him," she stated evenly as she eyed the two tiredly, less then appreciative of their continual goading and clashing with one another.

"Um…" Vanilla coughed, then spoke up softly, "If he requires a place to stay, I'd let him. My hut has a few rooms that have no use of yet, and it's the least I can do to repay him for rescuing Cream," St. John looked at her as if she'd just sprouted another head.

"Are you mad? Live with an OVERLANDER? They're dangerous, Miss Rabeau. You can't honestly expect me to believe you're completely fine with the idea of him living with you or your child," he asked incredulously, and before the rabbit could answer the elderly woodchuck Rosie decided to get her two mobiums in.

"Young man, you didn't have to calm the poor girl down after you shot her friend," She stated flatly. "She's decidedly attached to the boy, and I don't think she's going to agree with your assessment of him any time soon."

"She's a child," Geoffrey waved her off dismissively. "She doesn't know what's what in the world."

Rosie raised an eyebrow, restraining the urge to point out the same could be said of him, but that would have been quite rude.

"Commander," Vanilla said evenly, keeping her tone and demeanor passive as she addressed the younger mobian. "I won't lie and say that I'm not slightly unsure of the idea, however… Cream has spoken the world of him, and told me precisely what he has gone through on her behalf. It would be unconscionable of me not to help him in any way I could."

Geoffrey muttered darkly to himself. Sally turned her attention to Sonic. "With that settled, I don't suppose you'd mind taking Chris' supply bag to Vanilla's house? It's being kept with the rest of the confiscated things in the-"

"Don't sweat it, I'm all over this," Sonic smirked, and in a flash he was gone. Moments later, the blue blur returned, kicking up the air in the process. "Aaaand done," he smiled triumphantly, quite pleased with himself.

"You're honestly going through with this," St. John shook his head. "You can't tell me you don't see problems arising from this."

"I don't doubt that there might be problems," Vanilla conceded. "But until that happens, I see nothing wrong with giving aid to the one responsible for bringing my daughter back to me," here her town was firm, and she gave a hard gaze down to the skunk.

"Fine, you all take leave of your sanity then. When this all goes to hell, and I know it will, don't come crying to me," St. John snorted in disgust.

"Wouldn't dream of it, bud," Sonic smirked. A few rooms away, Cream and Cheese both were having a discussion of their own; namely around the discovery that they had a new family member in the village.

"Are you really my cousin?" Cream asked with wide eyes as she looked up at Bunnie, the rabbot giving a small chuckle and smiling down at the younger rabbit.

"Sure am, honey!" she said. "Ah never dreamt of seeing yer momma again, and ah can't begin ta tell ya how much of a pleasure it is ta meet ya," she grinned, kneeling down so that she was at eye level with her relative. Cream smiled and bowed her head politely.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too Bunnie," she then looked over to the cyborg limbs of her cousin, frowning in concern. "Oh dear… how did that happen?" she asked, placing a hand to her mouth as she had a chance to get a good look at the source of Bunnie's namesake. Sighing, Bunnie stood up once more, giving her robotic hand a contemplative look as she related the tale of its origins to Cream.

"Got 'em on a mission gone wrong… ol Iron Lips got the drop on us, an' I ended up in the roboticizer," she shivered at the memory. "If not for Sugah-hog, Ah'd have been a goner, but I still ended up with somethin' to remember the whole thing by," she frowned, and then gave a wicked grin. "Turns out the joke's on chubsy-ubsy; these limbs are strong, much stronger than a Mobian's, an' Ah've been puttin' 'em to good use ever since."

"You're a freedom fighter?" Cream's eyes were wide once more, amazed by the idea a family member of hers could be doing something so heroic with their life.

"Yup," Bunnie nodded. "Tails-honey is one too!" she beamed, pointing towards the aforementioned twin tailed fox who, at the moment was busying himself by studying Cheese, the chao returning the favor as the two circled each other inquisitively.

"Oh how exciting! Are you really a Freedom Fighter as well, Tails?" she asked with a wide smile. Snapped out of his studying by the question, he blinked a moment before returning the smile.

"Yep! I've been an official member of the last two years," his fluffy chest puffed out slightly with pride at the declaration. "I'm one of their tech experts."

"You'll like Chris then, he's also good with technology," Cream grinned.

"Neat, but I gotta ask," Tails turned his eyes back to Cheese, who was still studying him intently. "What IS Cheese here? I've never heard about anything like him… and why's he staring at me?" he raised a brow, suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable with the Chao's scrutiny.

"He's just doing that because he's never seen anything like you before," Cream giggled. "Cheese is a Chao, and I don't know much about them either except that they come from the southern jungles."

"Chao chao," Cheese nodded with a smirk. "Chao chao chao?"

"He wants to know why you have two tails," Cream clarified for the fox, blushing slightly at having translated the question so directly. Tails however didn't seem to take the question personally, instead giving her a cockeyed look.

"You…understand him?"

"Apparently yes, yes she does," Diablo spoke up, at last deciding to add to the conversation. Tails looked at him questioningly, the old wolf simply offering up a shrug. "I don't know how it works any more then you do."

"O…kay then," Tails murmured, then turned to face Cheese with a grin. "To answer your question though, I've got two tails so I can do… this!" Without another word his tails twirled around behind him and he hopped into the air, hovering in place. Both Cheese and Cream gasped, while Diablo and Bunnie simply exchanged a knowing smile with another.

"Oh wow, that's fantastic!" She gushed, her eyes practically sparkling from how amazement at Tails' ability. "How high and how fast can you go?"

"Pretty high and pretty fast," Tails smiled proudly as he got to his feet. "I can almost keep up with Sonic you know, using my tails," he grinned. "Which uh, kind of explains why I'm called Tails… my real name's Miles Prower, but I prefer to go by Tails if that's alright with you," he rubbed the back of his head as he offered up a hand to the rabbit girl, who graciously accepted.

"I'm Cream Rabeau, and I'm very pleased to meet you," she smiled, then looking up at Bunnie with a worried expression. "Are you sure Chris is going to be okay?"

"Don't you worry none, sugah," Bunnie said confidently. "Sally-girl's just gotta clear a few things up while yer friend is getting' patched up. He'll be fine, and if anybody starts anythin' up Ah'll be more than happy ta show'em the error of their ways," she winked, giving her robotic arm a pat, prompting a giggle from the younger Mobian. Diablo crossed his arms over his chest and let out a loud grunt of annoyance.

"In which case you'd better keep a close eye out on that St. John character," he sneered, and Cream frowned, nodding in agreement.

"I don't like him very much," she said with a frown.

"Chao chao chaaaao," Cream muttered darkly. Whatever he had said caused Cream to blush and stare at the Chao, a hand over her mouth while he smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his teardrop shaped head.

"What exactly did he say?" Diablo asked.

"Um… I don't want to repeat it, but I'm going to have to find out where he learned such bad words," she mumbled in embarrassment. Before any questions could be asked concerning just WHAT the Chao had said, both Sally and Vanilla fortuitously enough entered into the room. Cream immediately perked up upon seeing her mother, rushing toward her and greeting her with a hug, Vanilla immediately kneeling down to return the gesture even as Cheese got in on it.

"Is the meeting over, Momma?" she asked politely.

"It is, Cream," Vanilla answered with a smile before getting back up. "For the time being, your friend will be staying with us. I have a room available for him, and it really is the least I could do for Chris for bringing you back into my life," she then looked over to Diablo. "And I am told I owe you a great deal as well, Mister Diablo… thank you so much for helping to bring my baby back to me," she bowed her head slightly in gratitude.

"I mostly just led the kid here, but you're welcome all the same," Diablo smiled.

"So, where is Chris then?" Cream asked, looking about for signs of her surrogate sibling.

"Still being patched up by Dr. Quack," Sally said. "Don't worry, once he's all done Chris will be with you, right as rain," she smiled before turning her attention over to Diablo. "It's getting dark out, and I was wondering if you'd be willing to bunk down here in Knothole for the time being?"

"After the incident with those badniks, I won't be taking any chances," Diablo nodded to her.

"Alright then," Sally sighed out. "It's been a very long, very strange day… Diablo, I'll show you to where you'll be staying, and I'll show Chris to your home when he's all done at the doctor's," she nodded to Cream and Vanilla, Cheese hovering close by. "With that said, let's all get to where we need to be."

And with that, the Mobians all dispersed, Sally leading Diablo to his temporary lodgings and Vanilla leading Cream and Cheese to their new home, Bunnie and Tails both heading back to their own respective living areas. Shortly after, Sally received the news from a nurse that Dr. Quack was finished stitching Chris up, and as per her word she took it upon herself to lead him back to Cream and Vanilla (even managing to locate a plain gray t-shirt, oversized for a Mobian but a fine enough fit for a human). Once they said their goodbyes, Chris took a moment to observe the hut… for a Mobian building it was reasonably spacious looking, though he would still have to be careful with how he moved around.

A strange sense of unease came over him as he approached the door, wrapping his hand around the knob and pausing for a moment. Entering this house would be the final step towards abandoning his old life and his old goals and the first step towards accepting that he would be living amongst the Mobians for the rest of his life. Despite how he felt for Cream, and despite knowing intellectually that not every Mobian alive would be out to get him, he could not help but feel a bit of… reluctance? Fear? Defiance? Whatever it was, it was enough to give him pause. Then, he took in a breath and twisted the knob, opened the door, and took his first step into what would likely be the rest of his life.

"Hello…?" he asked awkwardly as he looked about the interior of the hut; it was sparsely decorated, no surprise considering that Vanilla hadn't lived here for long. Past the main hall he could see there were lights on, and soon a pair of familiar figures entered his range of sight; Cream and Cheese. He smiled gratefully even as the pair charged his way.

"CHRIS!" she called out in a relieved sob, leaping towards him with open arms, and Chris catching her and holding her up against him with ease, the sound of soft sobbing coming from her and from Cheese as he clung to his arm.

"Ssshhh, it's okay Cream, it's alright now," he murmured gently, giving her a quick cuddle. "Everything's better, and I'm fine," he smiled as she looked up at him with watery eyes, hastily wiping at the sides of her eyes and sniffing, trying to get a grip on herself.

"I… I know, it's just I was so worried after that awful skunk shot you and after the robots hurt you, especially since we got so close it didn't seem fair.."

"Chao chao!"

"I know, but that's behind us now… things will be okay from here on in, you'll see," he maintained that smile even as he smothered his own doubts as to the truthfulness of that statement. "I know things looked bad back there, but I'm fine; still healing, but fine."

"Okay," Cream smiled and then hopped out of his arms, reaching up to take his hand in her own and tugging insistently. "Come with me, I want to introduce you to my mother!"

"Cream, I understand that you are excited to see your friend is alright," the lights in the hall turned on, and Chris found himself temporarily blinded, blinking rapidly to get his eyesight back, "But do you really need to drag the poor boy around like that?" the voice teased, and once Chris's vision cleared he caught sight of its owner; standing by an electric lamp was none other than Vanilla, smiling playfully toward her daughter even as she took in the scene. Chris recognized her from the photos, and couldn't help but stare… it was almost surreal to see her in the fur after hearing so much about and only seeing her as a picture on a wall. The older rabbit stepped forward, standing before Chris and looking up at him with a grateful smile. "So… you are Christopher, then?" she asked.

"Last I checked I am," he quipped. "And you are Vanilla... Cream spoke a lot about you while we were together. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"I assure you that the pleasure is all mine," she gave a polite curtsy before looking up at Chris, her expression showing the deepest levels of gratitude possible. "You went to so much effort to return my daughter to me after I'd lost all hope. I can't even begin to thank you for that, words seem rather hollow, and actions insufficient… but they'll have to do for now," she smiled softly.

"I don't need anything elaborate, I'm just happy that Cream's safe and with her family again," Chris said, feeling slightly embarrassed by the gratitude. "The fact you're willing to give me room and board is more than enough, believe me."

"Perhaps, though it still feels like I could do more… you cannot begin to know what Cream's worth to me," she murmured gently, placing a hand down on Cream's head and giving an affectionate stroke. At this action, Cheese gave a confused look to her.

"Chao chao? Chao chao?"

Vanilla gave a small chuckle. "You mean a lot to me too, Cheese," she said, not losing her smile. "I'd be devastated to lose either of you."

"Wait, you can understand him as well?" Chris blinked, and Vanilla let out a small laugh.

"Oh just a little. Only after seeing him and Cream together for so long."

"Nice to know I'm not the only one then," Chris muttered, rubbing the back of his head. Cream then let out a loud yawn, rubbing her eye sleepily, while Chris looked down and smiled. "And it seems like it's time for you to go to sleep."

"I can stay up a bit longer," she murmured even as her tone and drooping ears betrayed otherwise. Vanilla simply shook her head at that as she took Cream in hand.

"Oh no little lady, you've had a rather exciting day and now, now is the time for you to rest."

"But Chris just got here!" Cream whined in that deliberate, begging sort of whine that all young children were masters of, Cheese doing his best impression shortly after.

"And I'll be here in the morning. I'm not going anywhere for a while now, particularly since this wound is gonna keep me out of action for a bit," Chris said, gesturing towards the cut at his side as he did so. "Don't worry Cream, nothing bad will happen between the time you got to sleep and the time you wake."

"Promise?" Cream asked even as she was hoisted up into her mother's arms.

"Pinky Promise," Chris smirked, offering up the aforementioned digit to the young rabbit. Placated by this, Cream grinned and took the pinky in her own and thus sealed the sacred deal, and with that Vanilla began to walk away with her.

"Feel free to make yourself at home, Chris," Vanilla called out as she left, and Chris decided to oblige her, carefully walking down the hall to enter the room that Vanilla had left. It appeared to be a combination between a living room and a kitchen, a dinner table and pair of chairs at one end of the room while the other contained several crude but useful conveniences; a stove (designed so that smoke would disperse rather than form into a cloud), spice racks, cupboards and various other things one might expect to see in the house of a home maker, while at the far end of the room was a simple table meant for several mobian-sized guests and a few electrical lamps to provide some ambiance. He carefully walked through, taking note of everything that he could before reaching the table and chairs, mentally debating if he should risk trying to sit down in one of the chairs… they were more like stools to him, and he wasn't certain they'd support his weight.

"You can sit down on them you know," Vanilla's voice rang out from behind him, and he twirled around to face her out of reflex, the move startling Vanilla slightly. "… The chairs aren't built with humans in mind, but they're fairly strong. I think you can sit down, if that's what you wish," she finished up, a bit warily, before slowly approaching him.

"Ah… gotcha, though I apologize in advance if this doesn't work," Chris chuckled nervously, painfully aware that he'd startled her. Looking behind him he carefully maneuvered himself into the chair, wincing as the wooden construct creaked almost violently under his weight. However, despite is fears the chair didn't snap into a thousand pieces and so he allowed himself to relax, turning his attention back to Vanilla and giving a somewhat self-depreciative smile. "This is going to take some getting used to."

"If I had known that I'd be playing host for a human, I would have gone to the effort to build some more accommodating furnishings," Vanilla said apologetically, though Chris waved her off.

"Nah, it's alright. The message Lupe sent got lost in transmission, you could not have possibly seen something like me entering the picture anytime soon," he said, then rose a brow towards her. "You built this?" he asked as he looked down at the chairs around him, and Vanilla giggled.

"Oh no, these were here before I got here. However, I do know a few things about carpentry and woodcraft, I'm confident I could have managed something for you," she said, smiling pleasantly. Chris's curiosity was now piqued.

"How'd you learn to build this stuff?" he asked, managing to bite down that she didn't strike him as the carpenter sort.

"When your options are taken away from you, you tend to teach yourself new things in order to survive," Vanilla sighed, and Chris let out an affirming grunt in response. "I take it this is something you're familiar with as well then?" Vanilla asked, her own curiosity now stoked about her oft mentioned houseguest.

"Oooh yeah," Chris chuckled. "I picked up a thing or two over the years that I doubt I'd ever have if not for this entire war. Heck, if not for that I'd have never run across your daughter."

"Cream told me about it, while you were being freed from the jail and being worked on by Dr. Quack," Cream nodded. "It still sounds unbelievable, and yet here you are, and so are both Cream and Cheese. Who am I to question when fate smiles down on me?"

"Because more often than not, fate seems to enjoy getting your expectations up before delivering a nice sucker punch to the gut," he muttered, perhaps a bit darkly. Realizing his tone he quickly shook his head and gave an apologetic look to Vanilla. "Ah, I'm sorry, it's just…"

"No, I understand," Vanilla said, giving Chris a sympathetic look. "In this day and age, more often the not it seems optimism just sets people up for a fall. Though," now she began to smile, gently, "Not always."

"You've definitely got a point there," Chris chuckled, then letting out a yawn.

"It would seem that Cream isn't the only one in need of sleep," Vanilla noted, perhaps a bit wryly, and Chris let out a small groan.

"Oh boy, no kidding… between the fight against the badniks, getting tasered and then coming to the realization that this is pretty much the first night of the rest of my life," he murmured, looking around him. "No offense, but you can't begin to know how surreal this all is for me, even after everything else… I still feel almost like I'm in a dream."

"I almost wish it so," Vanilla sighed out. "If this was all just your dream, then at least you could wake up and hopefully make the worst of it nothing but a bad memory… though I think Cream would object to never having met you. She thinks very highly of you, you know," she pointed out, pleasant smile returning to her face.

"Yeah, I do," Chris returned that smile. "And I think similar of her… she has a very good head on her shoulders, better in some ways than many adults."

"Oh, I know. She really is a very special girl, and it saddens me that I can't give her more opportunities in life. But come what may, I can at least try and give her the best possible life under these circumstances." Vanilla now stood up and away from the table and gave a leading wave with her hand. "Come, I will lead you to your room."

"Just a moment," Chris muttered and wriggled around a bit; he was stuck in the chair. Vanilla put a hand to her mouth and suppressed the urge to giggle at the sight of the human trying to dislodge himself from the too-small bit of furniture, successfully doing so as he finally managed to force himself out. "Okay, you want to show your gratitude to me for saving Cream? A chair. That's all I ask," he quipped.

"I'll see what I can do," Vanilla chuckled before waving him over, "Come, this way."

Chris obediently followed after the Mobian woman, carefully minding his height as he maneuvered around the house proportioned for people half his size. A few rooms down from what was presumably Cream and Vanillas own rooms, Chris was led into a mostly empty room that had little going for it save what appeared to be an extra-large couch and a closet. "I apologize for the lack of a proper bed… this was meant to be a guest room, however I wasn't able to bring myself to really work at it for after I arrived here. My cousin Bunnie donated the couch," Vanilla explained apologetically as she opened the closet, pulling out pillows and a blanket and leaving them atop the couch while Chris was left to ponder the bizarre nature of Mobian naming conventions. Vanilla walked up to him and bowed her head slightly. "I…hope this will do for now."

"It will," Chris smiled. "Trust me Vanilla; I've been sleeping on things more uncomfortable then couches for a while now. Until I can possibly get a bed built for me into here, this will do nicely," he nodded back gratefully. "Don't sweat it… right now I just appreciate being able to sleep somewhere without having to worry about killer robots," he chuckled.

"Understood. Still, if you need anything do not hesitate to ask," Vanilla said, before turning around and heading for the door, pausing just before she left. "Good night, Chris… and once more, thank you," she said softly as she looked over at him.

"Good night, Vanilla… and don't mention it," he smiled back to her. With nothing other than a quick nod, Vanilla turned and exited the room. Chris soon after removed his boots and socks and lay back down upon the couch, testing to see what position would be most comfortable upon it. Unsurprisingly his limbs sprawled out well over the edge of the couch, but its cushioning was more than enough to compensate. From the outside there was a soft glow not unlike moon light, and through the window it gave his room a soft illumination even though he could not guess at the source… he knew for a fact that the trees above obscured the night's sky for the most part, enough so that neither the stars nor moon would likely shine quite so bright. Simply a mystery for him to decipher another day he mused to himself as he stared at the ceiling, now given time to contemplate where he was now in his life.

He'd never, ever in his wildest dreams pictured that this is where his life would take him; life amongst Mobians, with no other humans around save for the vile pair in Robotropolis who were responsible for possible extermination of his people… for obvious reasons, he refused to consider them as he would other human beings. _So, this is it then… no going back. This is the rest of your life, however long that is, and you have to make do with what you are given, _Chris thought to himself, frowning slightly as he shifted on the couch a bit. On the plus side he knew conclusively that the Mobians were not of one mind concerning him, and it was especially a relief that Princess Sally was willing to treat him with an open mind rather than rampant hatred and suspicion… Lupe had been more than right about her, he now realized. However, while he never made this journey without anticipating that there would be resistance to his presence here, the fact that he'd been shot with a taser bolt while suffering an awful wound told him this much; there was at least one person in this village who hated him and his kind enough to pull something like that, and he had a feeling that the longer he stayed here the more of them were going to pop up. Visions of a lynch mob wielding flames and pitchforks danced around in his mind, as did visions of his beaten, bruised body hanging from a nearby tree.

He shuddered and forced the disturbing imagery out of his mind, wrapping his covers around himself as he did so, shaking his head slightly. He prayed it would not come to that. Though as he allowed his mind to wander elsewhere, other ugly realizations and feelings began to make themselves known. Though it caused his blood to run cold, he now knew that sooner or later he would have to encounter the hedgehog… Sonic. The figure he'd seen on security tapes and learnt to resent so horribly. He wasn't sure what to expect, or how he was going to conduct himself. Just thinking of him as he sped around, thwarting the Swat Bots so easily that he made it look like a game… he could not stop his anger from flaring up, thinking of how damned insulting it was that he could just reduce the cause of so much tragedy an horror into a God damned game. So much Chris had lost thanks to Robotnik and his creations, but oh no, Sonic the Hedgehog could afford to goof around and make it look like it was nothing. Thankfully, another worry entered his mind before he could stew further into his resentment of the blue hero… namely, what would accepting this mean with regards to those whose lives had been lost?

His friends, his family, his people… in doing this, was he somehow betraying them? Was living amongst the Mobians somehow committing treason against the memory of his people given the indirect part they had played in the wholesale destruction of Overland and all within it? The implication that he was somehow spitting on the collective graves of those he sought to avenge made his blood chill even worse than thinking about Sonic did. He rationalized it to himself; living here was a means to end, and that end was towards defeating Robotnik once and for all. If he helped the Mobians do this, then it would be enough to satisfy the vengeance of those who came and gone before him. And yet somehow he could not shake that uneasy, insidious feeling of guilt that coiled around the dark depths of his mind, attacking his confidence and his ability to believe in the rightness of what he was doing.

He shook his head rapidly. _No point on dwelling_, he murmured to himself as he shut his eyes, sighing and resting his head. _What's done is done, and I can't change any of it. All that matters now is surviving and seeing the Eggman go down. All I can hope for, all I can really do by this point is just adapt and hope for the best… because like it or not, this is now officially my life, for better or worse._

With that on his mind, he managed to bring himself enough peace that he could eventually drift off into sleep, thus officially ending the first day of what would be the rest of his life for however long he might be able to live it. Mercifully, no dreams came to assail him about his doubts and fears… a good sign as any, all things considered.


	13. The First Day

**Disclaimer: **Hoo boy, so much for this being the year the world ends; three freaking months this thing took. To all my readers (all five of you) I am really sorry this one took so long. A lot of stuff came up during the time between the last chapter and todayfor both me AND my beta reader (who is possessed of some rather blessed patience to be able to wait so long for this thing to get sent). Major props go to the beta, who is the sole reason this story does not wallow in suck. Anyway, as per usual… I own nothing at all, it's all SEGA, Archie and DIC; it ain't mine. This is for fun, not profit… seriously, what person of consequence even READS this?

**A Difficult Road Travelled**

**Chapter Thirteen: The First Day**

The first thing Chris heard was the sound of a hammer blows against wood. He found he was staring at the ceiling of his room dazed and confused before the events of yesterday came crashing back to him. Wincing a bit, he placed his hand over his wounded side to soothe the phantom pain that shot through it before sitting up in his too-small bed, yawning and stretching out his arms while the hammering noise continued. He looked out the window of his room idly, observing the woodlands just outside. By the amount of light that was out he would have estimated it was still early in the morning, but in a place like Knothole he found himself unable to really tell for sure thanks to the shade of the overgrowth and the soft glow of the artificial lighting. Scratching an itch behind his head, he hopped out of bed and dressed before heading out and curiously maneuvering himself around the small house to locate the noise. He congratulated himself on not stubbing his toe, banging his elbows or hitting his head against anything. He could never get over how… doll-like the Mobian houses he'd been in seemed. Even taking their proportions out of the picture, they seemed to have an old, almost fairytale sort of quality to him.

Reaching the living room, he found the source of the sound; Vanilla was in the middle of the room, constructing what looked like a large, half-finished chair. A toolbox and nails were beside her, a hammer in hand as she worked, sitting on her knees as she went about constructing the piece of furniture; gone was her formal looking dress, replaced instead by blue overalls, a simple white shirt and a red bandana to keep her hair and ears out of her face. Chris blinked at this turn of events… when she spoke of getting him a decent chair, he'd assumed it would be a ways away. Clearly, Vanilla had other plans concerning the thing and Chris felt a sort of astonished admiration creep in. Given how intent she was with her work, Chris debated the wisdom of interrupting her. He knew from experience that someone concentrating THAT hard on something would not react well to being interrupted. On the other hand, part of getting used to living here was tied into speaking with others. More talking with Vanilla couldn't hurt. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"Good morning, Chris," Vanilla said without missing a beat, maintaining a serene smile as she carefully placed a nail down and started hammering it into a leg. "I hope your being up at this hour isn't any fault of mine."

Chris realized his mouth was still open, collected himself, and smiled sheepishly. "Uh no, trust me, it isn't. I have a tendency to wake up early, it's what I've been trained for… how did you know I was heading down here anyway?"

Vanilla gave a smile and wiggled an ear, "My being a rabbit might have something to do with that," she remarked a bit dryly, giving a bell like chuckle as Chris buried his face into the palm of his hand.

"And the prize for 'most obvious question asked this year' goes to me," he muttered to himself in embarrassment before looking up once more, treated to the sight of the rabbit matron resuming her work. "I'll be honest; I didn't expect that you'd start on this so quickly."

"When there's a job to be done its best that it be done swiftly as possible, otherwise you just might end up forgetting it," Vanilla pointed out, not losing that smile. "Hopefully when this is finished, it'll be a bit more to your liking then the last one."

"You won't need… er… well, measurements or anything then?" he asked idly, then paused for a moment as he contemplated the awkwardness of the question, especially concerning the part that would need to be measured for a chair.

Mercifully she hadn't picked up on that, simply shaking her head. "Oh no, I feel I've a good enough estimate about you that I can make this more comfortable for you."

"Understood," Chris said, then sighed and looked out a nearby window that showed the village. He could see the various Mobians exiting their homes to set about their tasks for the day, and a faraway look came over his face as he let himself become lost in his thoughts.

Vanilla, from the corner of her eye, took notice of this and stopped her work for the moment and looked up to human she'd offered to house, whom she owed so much. Some primal part of her still was concerned over her decision, but at the very least she was able to quash that hysterical fear she felt over the presence of the human. Following his gaze, she put two and two together. "You're still worried, aren't you?" she asked comfortingly.

"Can you blame me? Everything about this place is… well, it's just alien to me. Back at the Wolf Pack I was never going to stick around and was kept away from the wolves for the most part, but here…" he let out a sigh. "I grew up in a hidden military base, surrounded by people who'd fought in the Great War and rarely had anything kind to say about Mobians. Now? Now I'm in the middle of a beautiful woodland village, right under Robotnik's nose and surrounded by people who I've been told are my enemies by default." He turned his head to look at her, looking lost for the most part. "I'm not cynical enough to think that it's impossible for me to live here, but it's…" He struggled with his words for a minute before finally settling on one, "… Difficult."

"You're not entirely alone there," Vanilla murmured. Chris looked down at her, his brow raised curiously. For a moment she looked back at him and let out a sigh. "I am grateful to you, truly grateful for what you did for me and for Cream. And yet I can't help but feel just the slightest bit… on edge about you living here with me and my daughter." She admitted, not quite able to meet his eyes. "Cream cares for you, but you have to understand how I grew up during the war, with… well… humans, and -"

"If Cream's picture books are anything to go by, I'm probably better off not knowing," Chris murmured to himself and then looked down to his hostess. "I'm not going to hold that against you… I mean heck, I almost didn't come here. It took Lupe guilt tripping me to convince me to join Cream and give living here a shot."

"Really?" she asked as she looked up at him.

"She pointed out repeatedly that Cream would be utterly miserable if I just dumped her here…" He closed his eyes, trying not to imagine the tragic scene before opening his eyes again. "… I don't want to do that to a little girl." Chris shrugged. Vanilla cracked a small smile.

"She really WOULD have been miserable without you, you know," she murmured softly, and Chris let out a resigned sigh.

"I know." Part of him was very conflicted about that, and the complications and fears surged up for a moment before he gave them a voice. "I also know it's going to take a lot of work for us to get comfortable with each other," he noted, though he did allow a small smile of his own to come about. "But for her? I'm willing to try and make it work."

"As am I," Vanilla nodded. An awkward silence set in for a second before Chris tried to shoo it away with some humor.

"I understand you're worried, but I don't want to cause any trouble. I don't have any evil plans or a doctorate in Evil Geniusing and Hurting Mobians," Chris said and then grinned. "… And no, I don't EAT Mobians either."

Irony struck immediately as his stomach growled loudly. Vanilla gasped slightly despite herself, taking a surprised step back as Chris flushed slightly, meeting her wide eyes which flickered between his rather embarrassed expression and his rumbling stomach. Silence reigned for a few moments as both parties stared at each other.

Vanilla giggled, and before they knew it they were both doubled over in laughter, Vanilla putting a hand to her mouth to try and suppress the giddy laughter and failing miserably while Chris laughed heartily for the first time in a long while. "My stomach REALLY isn't helping my case is it?" he sniggered.

"It would seem to have a mind of its own," Vanilla giggled as she forced herself into a respectable state of calm, Chris following shortly afterwards, smiling down at her apologetically.

"Pretty much," he said with a chuckle, his expression a picture perfect definition of sheepish. "Hope we didn't wake Cream up with all of that."

"I checked her earlier. She's been sleeping far more soundly then I can last remember… I would guess it to be a side effect of her travels with you," Vanilla said, her smile softening a bit.

"Wouldn't doubt it," Chris nodded, then rubbed the back of his head. "Speaking of which… I don't suppose this hut might have a bathroom?" he asked, perhaps a bit hopefully. "It's been several days since I last had a bath or a shower and… well…"

"It's three doors down the hallway, between your room and Cream's," Vanilla nodded. "Be sure to not take your time though; water is not to be wasted." The last part of her sentence sounded as if she'd learned it verbatim, most likely some kind of rule the village had, Chris thought.

"No problems there; I've spent the last eleven years of my life living at a hidden military complex, I know how to do things efficiently," Chris smiled, giving a small two fingered salute before heading down the hall. "Once more, you have my eternal gratitude," he then paused, feeling embarrassed for a moment, but then turning to face her one last time. "Um… I really DON'T eat Mobians, and I'm really not an evil genius." he said, thought not quite sure why.

"Oh, I figured as much on my own," Vanilla said with a genial smile. "I think I'll set aside my work on the chair for the moment. I'll start breakfast up, Cream might be awakening soon at this rate, and you certainly sound as if you could do with a meal."

"You're never going to let me live that down are you?" Chris asked flatly. "Could you possibly wait until I'm done cleaning up? I still need to learn how to use the appliances of this place."

"You don't know how to cook for yourself?" Vanilla raised her brow. Chris flushed in embarrassment.

"Well, most of my food for the past several years consisted of pre-prepared rations. I have a lot of catching up to do."

"Hmm, good point," Vanilla put a hand to her chin thoughtfully then smiled. "Alright, once you're finished I'll start things up and show you how to work the stove."

"Much obliged," Chris nodded before scurrying off for the bathroom. It was built to Mobian proportions of course, but he hardly cared. Locking the door behind himself to prevent any first-day embarrassments, he quickly shed his clothes and was soon sighing happily as he allowed the hot water to cascade over his body. He really HAD missed being able to enjoy being clean. Of course, it was only a temporary pleasure; he hadn't forgotten Vanilla's words regarding Knothole's water supply, and quickly and efficiently cleaned himself in a few minutes. It was more than enough for him, and he quickly dried off, redressed, and rejoined an impressed Vanilla in the kitchen ("You weren't kidding when you said you'd be back soon!") and busied himself with listening to every word she spoke of the somewhat primitive stove, as well as familiarizing himself with the precise contents of the kitchen's cupboards and refrigerator. Being herbivores, the majority of the food at the Rabeau residence was, predictably enough, vegetables and grains. This didn't make much of a difference to Chris; they were REAL vegetables being cooked in a REAL kitchen. After years of preprocessed homogenized goop for breakfast, lunch and dinner, moving on to Wolfpack and Freedom Fighter food was an overwhelming turn for the better.

By the time Cream and Cheese awoke and entered the dining room, Chris was already assisting Vanilla in making some lovely porridge. "Good morning Mommy! Good morning Chris!" she said politely as she took a seat at the dining room table. Cheese floated in after her, mumbling to himself as he rubbed at an eye with a stubby little arm and placing himself atop the table near Cream.

"Good morning sweetheart. Did you two sleep well?" Vanilla asked, humming happily to herself as she continued to stir the pot of porridge while Chris set four bowls by her and then proceeded to set out spoons on the table.

"Yes we did," Cream nodded eagerly, then looked down at the half finished chair from earlier. "Were you working on something?"

"Just a thank you present for Chris," Vanilla chuckled.

"The chairs around here aren't built for humans," Chris said as he finished up and sank down to his knees by the table next to Cream and Cheese as if dining in an Eastern Overland home. "So your mom generously decided to build one that'd be comfortable for me, something for which I am very grateful for." He gave an appreciative nod over to Vanilla.

Cream beamed happily, pleased to hear of her mother and newfound sibling getting along so well. "I told you Mommy was real nice!" Cream smiled triumphantly, Cheese bobbing his head up and down, fully awakened and chirping happily.

"That you did," Chris admitted gratefully. Soon after the porridge was finished and served in milk, with some sugar added for flavoring… Chris tried to restrain his drool. Real, honest to goodness sugar. How long had it been? True, there had been that cake Cream had made back at the village, but other than that it had literally been years since he'd had any kind of sweet tasting food. He found he was forcing himself against ravenously devouring everything in seconds, and struggled to pace himself for the sake of his companions. That was another strange sensation… eating around people in a context that WASN'T a military base's mess hall. That was not to say that breakfast, lunch and dinner was unpleasant back home, but everything had been strictly regimented, and there had always been that lingering air of paranoia that came from the war against the machines. A situation like this though, sitting at a table eating a home cooked meal in a pleasant, casual manner… it had been so long since he'd enjoyed it, he could only barely recall similar events from a childhood that ended far too early.

They chatted casually amongst each other, Chris and Cream relating the adventure to and from Pinehaven and their quest to try and find a new home for Cream, and all the scrapes and escapades that lead the two of them – Cheese interjected here, reminding them that it was THREE of them - to finally locate Knothole, reuniting the disparate family members with one another. Cheese, did his best to contribute with his unique commentary, while Chris did his best to avoid the uncomfortable parts of his past, still feeling a tight feeling in his throat at the thought of the countless dead waiting for him in Genocide City. Part of him felt bad about his deception, but the fact was he just couldn't bear to talk about it. Not yet. It was just too much to think about right now, and it would completely ruin the happy mood.

His dramatic train of thought was derailed by a knock at the door, making him jolt suddenly as nonsensical scenarios of a death squad or order of public execution suddenly being carried out filled his head. Vanilla raised a brow and excused herself from the table. "Now who could that be?" she asked aloud as she headed for the door and opened it. Chris relaxed immediately as he recognized the figure in the door.

"Mister Diablo!" Cream called out happily, Cheese joining in with enthusiasm.

The old wolf chuckled and smiled congenially to Cream. "Hello, Cream, Miss Vanilla, Chris," Diablo nodded as he spoke each name. He was wearing the same supply pack from earlier, though now visibly a bit heavier with provided supplies. "I just thought I'd get my goodbyes in before heading back to my pack."

"Understood, but please, do come in for a moment before you go," Vanilla smiled genially and stepped back with a sweeping gesture. "We were just having breakfast."

"I could smell it on the way up, and much obliged," Diablo nodded as he stepped in, raising a brow at the sight of Chris on his knees before the table. Realizing what he was staring at, Chris chuckled in embarrassment and shrugged.

"Uh… well… I'm still adjusting," he stammered awkwardly.

"Apparently," Diablo drawled out. "Hope you've been getting used to here well enough Chris," he then turned his head to face Cream. "And Cream, I take it you and your little friend have been doing well?"

"Oh yes sir, Mister Diablo," Cream nodded eagerly. "We're very happy to be home with Mommy again."

"Chao chao!"

"And I've been doing pretty good all things considered, size issue with the chairs aside," Chris added in, clambering awkwardly to his feet and looking down at the wolf.

"Good, good," Diablo said with a nod. "In which case, I must bid you all farewell and good luck."

"Aaw, you're leaving already?" Cream asked, her ears drooping even further than usual to match her unhappy tone.

"I have a duty to my pack and chieftess that comes first, youngster. Knothole's a nice place to visit, but I'm needed elsewhere," Diablo said in a dutiful tone of voice, Vanilla nodding in agreement.

"Understood, and thank you for everything," she said gravely. "I owe both you AND Christopher far more then I could ever really repay."

"Just keep Cream and Cheese in your sights at all times and we'll call it even," Diablo chuckled.

"Ah-HEM!"

All heads turned quite suddenly to the still open door, and Chris felt his nerves turn to ice at the figure in the doorway. In the doorway there stood a blonde haired coyote that carried himself with a pompous dignity… and to Chris's mild horror, was wearing the fancy red and blue uniform required to be a member of the Mobotropolis Royal Guard. He'd heard it described by veterans of the Great War more than enough times… Though the Mobian wearing it was… seemingly unimpressive, he didn't like the implications - why was a Royal Guard (or at least someone with that kind of training) here, and what did it mean for him?

Chris realized he was the only one tense at this appearance; at most, Cream and Cheese seemed curious. The coyote especially did not seem to take notice of Chris's discomfort, holding his head high and soon speaking in an officious tone. "_Pardonnez-moi madame Rabbeau_, I am sorry to be interrupting you and monsieur Diablo, but by ze orders of her majesty Princess Sally Acorn I am needing to take your guest to be seeing her immediately."

"Good morning to you too, Antoine," Vanilla responded with that same genial smile. "And what does the princess want from Chris?"

Chris stared warily at Antoine and swallowed dryly, his eyes dashing quickly over to Vanilla looking for some kind of reassurance or… something. Seeing his discomfort, she gave a slight wink which surprisingly did calm him down slightly… Between his less than impressive looks and everyone's relaxed posture, he hoped any fears he might have for this 'Antoine' fellow would amount to nothing.

Not noticing the silent exchange thanks to his nose being pointed straight in the air, Antoine continued on. "She is simply wishing to assess his skills in ze hopes of his contribution to ze cause of the ze Freedom Fighters," he now deigned to glance away from the ceiling at Chris, raising a dubious brow. "So… you are being ze one to bring ze young Cream back to her family, zhen?"

"Er… yes…well, I found her, but Diablo led us back here courtesy of Lupe," Chris responded, doing his best to hide his colossal discomfort at Antoine's uniform.

"All ze same, you are having my thanks, even if it iz being somewhat of ze surprise to me, no?" Antoine kept that brow of his raised, and then shook his head. "But, zis is not ze time for such discussions. Come, mah princess awaits! Walk zis way, please!" Antoine turned on a heel and raised a hand to point at the direction… doing both at once caused him to slam his hand against the door frame and he yelped in pain, clutching his hand and wincing. Chris's anxiety turned to amusement as he looked back over to Vanilla, Diablo, Cream and Cheese (both of whom looked somewhat concerned for the unfortunate canine) before shrugging.

"Well." Chris considered the cringing and in pain Antoine for a second before shaking his head and looking over at his companions. "You heard him… I'll be back soon enough. Safe travels, Diablo," Chris nodded at him and followed the flustered coyote, who seemed rather flushed with his heroic battle with the door. Antoine's rather unique behavior and bearing helped make the short trip to the command hut… interesting, as he bombarded Chris with a series of seemingly nonsensical rules and regulations ("Zere will be no chewing of ze gum in ze evenings, and no blowing of ze bubbles ever again following ze incidents…", which did a lot to reduce Chris's dread. Frankly, either this Antoine was an incredible force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, or the Royal Guard had some seriously low standards. He was so amused that the stares and hushed whispers that came about from various Mobians going about their business in the village barely registered to Chris, as he noted the endless stream rules and regulations (he was going over the proper rules and regulations for… water balloon handling?). Eventually, though, the fun came to a close as they neared their destination.

"…and furthermore you are to not be inzulting, sassing or backtalking to ze princess at any times, understood?" Antoine rattled off, oblivious to the fact that Chris's nodding and mutters of 'mm-hm?' betrayed just how seriously the human took him. Chris realized that Antoine had actually turned to look at him and had to catch himself from responding automatically.

"Mm-h- er, yes, understood." Chris replied smoothly. He had to admit he was now curious about the surprisingly humorous coyote in spite of his demeanor and evident origins. They entered the command hut, and Chris was lead to what appeared to be an office where the prince- Sally, he corrected mentally, awaited, holding what looked like a handheld computer in hand that reminded Chris of old handheld game consoles he had as a kid. Her face was a stern and well worn mask of concerned concentration as she read the screen. When Antoine and Chris approached the desk in the center of the room she looked up and gave a welcoming smile.

"Ah, there you two are. Thanks for bringing him over, Antoine," she said with a small nod to the coyote, who smirked in triumph. "Wait outside until we're done."

"As you are commanding, my princess," Antoine said with a smart salute, turning on heel and marching out of the office. Chris stared blankly after him as he left and once the coyote was out of hearing range, Chris shook his head in disbelief and looked over at Sally questioningly.

"Um… Is he really a member of the royal guard?" He asked, jerking a thumb in Antoine's direction.

"After a fashion… he received both the training and the uniform from his father, but officially the Royal Guards no longer exist in any significant fashion. Why do you ask?" Sally raised a brow as the human took a spot before her desk, opting to push the tiny chair back and sit cross-legged on the floor rather than destroy the furniture with his rump.

"I've heard a lot about the Royal Guard," Chris said with a shrug. "Antoine…" He paused, struggling for a diplomatic way to express himself, "Let's just say that he did not exactly match up to what I was told."

Sally sighed as Chris considered somewhat pained (embarssed?) expression. "… We get that a lot," she conceded. "However, he's been a Freedom Fighter for as long as I have, so don't go thinking little of him because of his mannerisms."

"That's quite alright, I'm just happy not to have been stabbed," Chris tried to smile reassuringly. It didn't work, and prompted a wince from Sally who coughed awkwardly and tried to carry on their interview.

"Well, moving on… I wanted to meet you to get a better idea of what you can do for us. I'm afraid we haven't had much of a chance to figure out where your skills lie," she said, now entering a very professional demeanor befitting a leader, placing her elbows on the desk and holding her hands together as she gazed at Chris seriously. "Although, I did hear from Tails that Cream mentioned you being skilled with technology… is that true?"

Chris had not been expecting an interview, but tried to answer as honestly as possible… and touch on as few painful memories as possible. "Yes." The terse response did not satisfy as Sally raised a brow. Chris took a breath and explained further, "It… runs in the family. My grandfather was a good man and a great scientist…" he sighed, memories washing over him despite attempts to the contrary. "He was skilled in a variety of disciplines, but focused mostly on teaching me electronics, mechanics and metallurgy." Chris didn't realize his tone had gone very flat, and his eyes glassy, as if he were a machine himself, but Sally took note. "I spent most of my adolescence learning to handle, build, and repair equipment, machines, and vehicles that we used. It's how I arrived here – I built the ship that brought me here, though it was destroyed. As I got older…" There was another pause and a sigh. "As I got older, I learned to handle and repair weapons of all types and sizes. I eventually got a posting as a combat engineer in a Resistance cell." There was a longer pause now as years of memories, terror and pain flashed across his mind. The first time he'd seen the dilapidated buildings of a once proud people, the terror of realizing that cameras were EVERYWHERE, the horror of being caught out in the open for the first time, the pain from the first shots burning through his armor, the thrill of the first kill that marked him as something other than some "Rich and spoiled newbie"…

"I see," said Sally simply, trying to read the flashes of emotion on his face, but without much success. Humans were still very strange to her, despite years of fighting Robotnik, and it was hard to recognize the emotional cues for anything besides rage and hatred on a human's face, which Robotnik had provided plenty of. She realized it'd been a bit since he'd spoken, and she tried to draw more info from him, "So you clearly have training and experience in the field. Would you mind telling me how you think you could be most useful…?"

Chris's reverie faded slightly as he stared right at her with purpose and intensity. "Combat." A surge of emotion rolled through him and made his voice heavy with determination and eagerness for battle as the thought of being so close to the battlefield again was overpowering. "I've been trained to handle weapons, operate as part of a team and to defend myself in hand to hand combat. I've been doing this since I was ten years old… I know Swatbots. I know their weakpoints. Believe me, I know how to –" He quickly remembered the word "kill" did not going over with (supposedly) peace-loving Mobians, and he licked his lips nervously as he tried to reconfigure his speech to be more palatable. He started again, slower and more composed, "I know my way around Robotnik's forces, and I'm perfectly capable of doing things however you like," Chris said simply, and realized he'd been sitting stock straight and was breathing heavily. Sally looked at him for a long moment, reading his face, and finally smiled sadly and knowingly.

"…He's left his mark on you too, hasn't he?"

"…Yes." Chris replied evenly. He tried not to think about who "he" was. It was as Lupe had said… this girl might have been a princess in title, but she sure as hell hadn't been living like one for the last eleven years.

"No kidding," Sally murmured, lost in thoughts and memories of her own before composing herself again. "Well… I have to say, it sounds like you have a lot to offer the Freedom Fighters. However, until that wound of yours heals up properly I'm going to have to hold you back from field duty."

Chris closed his eyes in frustration, barely restraining an angered hiss. He was so close…! "I've fought while suffering worse. It won't be a problem," he stated stiffly, resenting both the implication that he'd somehow be less effective in the field as well as the fact his chances at resuming the fight against Robotnik were being stymied. He opened his eyes again to see Sally gazed at him, unmoved.

"That's Doctor Quack's call to make, and I can promise you that he won't allow it until those stitches come out," she stated bluntly before softening up a bit. "Look… between what Diablo and you have told me, you have every right to want to get out and pay Robotnik back for all the hell he's put our world through, but you're not going to be of any use to anyone if you end up damaging yourself even further."

Chris frowned, brow furrowing as he considered the logic of her words. Sally picked up on this and took his silence as opportunity to further build her case. "Besides that, consider this… if you spend time here in the village, the other Freedom Fighters will have more time to get used to you. Once the time comes for you to join us out in Robotropolis, we might be able to work together as a more cohesive whole."

"….That makes sense," Chris conceded. "Alright then, your majesty; what will you have me do in the meantime then?"

"As I told you back at the prison, you don't have to call me anything like 'majesty' or 'highness'… here, I'm just Sally," she then smiled. "And I have something that'll fit you JUST fine."

In a few minutes, Chris was in another hut, this one larger than the others and with various technological attachments coming out of it. As with before, Antoine had led him to it, both to guide him through the unfamiliar village and prevent some of the more… unwise villagers from trying anything against the still injured Chris. He was still at the beginning of his new life here in Knothole, and everyone involved knew how precarious the situation door was open when they arrived, and Antoine opted to stay back.

"Here is where I shall be staying for ze moment," Antoine stated imperiously.

"Oh? Why?"

"Because it is being safer zan if Rotor iz buzy with somezing new," Antoine gulped, gazing at the open door warily.

Rotor, yes, Sally had explained who he was to Chris; a walrus, Knothole's resident techno-wizard (with someone called 'Tails' as the tech genius in training), and for the moment the person Chris would be helping until he could join in active duty.

Looking down at Antoine and then towards the open door, Chris shrugged and headed forward, taking a moment to knock at the frame of the door out of politeness… and a healthy amount of caution. "Door's open!" a voice from the inside called, and Chris helped himself inside.

The mess inside of the hut could only be described as apocalyptic. Mechanical devices and parts were strewn about everywhere, and all over he could smell the aftermath of metal burning, fried circuitry and all manner of mechanical chemicals. Ahead of him was a work bench, where hunched over and tinkering furiously was a great purple walrus, which had to be Rotor. Chris stared for a moment as he'd never seen a Mobian walrus before. Tall and purple, Rotor was clad in little more than a yellow cap and a bandolier of belt pouches. He briefly wondered what he could possibly be carrying in them for a moment, but quickly got a hold of himself. Shaking his head, the human cleared his throat in the hopes of getting the mechanic's attention and did his best to hide his anxiety "Ah, hello… my name is Chris, and I was told by the princess that I'd be working with you…?"

Rotor stopped his tinkering and placed his tools down, swiveling in his chair to face the human, a friendly smile on his tusked face. "I was told about you. So you're Chris, the human that brought Cream in?" he got off of the chair and walked over to Chris as if it were the most normal thing in the world, raising a hand to him and not once losing his smile. "Name's Rotor; pleased to meet you!"

Chris blinked for a moment. He'd been expecting anything, anything at all except for Rotor to be so… unfazed by him, for lack of a better word. For some reason, his fear returned, he shakily raised his hand to meet Rotor's in a handshake. "And I'm… pleased to meet you," he cracked a small smile. "I take it you were informed about me then…?"

"Eeyup," Rotor nodded as he let Chris's hand go. "Last night Sally had us meet to talk about you, and it was brought up that Cream mentioned you were good with science, so I agreed to let you work here with me until you were healed up."

"I see… I have to admit, I was not expecting anyone like you when I was brought here," Chris said, rubbing the back of his head at the awkward confession. "I was expecting a bit more… well… hostility?"

"Well, I can't exactly blame you for expecting the worst," Rotor murmured, but managed to maintain his friendly smile. "But I've never really much cared for judging a person before I ever got the chance to meet them."

"Noble sentiment there," Chris quipped, though now his smile matched the walrus' own.

"I try," Rotor chuckled before waving him over, heading to another part of the work bench. "So, you're good with tech? How good are you at repairs then?"

"It was one of my primary jobs back at my old base," Chris explained as he was lead before what looked like a pile of various machines; appliances, weapons, complicated parts for larger machines. He recognized all of them.

"Normally Tails would be handling this, but he's off on a mission at the moment," Rotor said, rubbing the back of his head as he looked down at the solitary stool placed before the spot. "Not sure how well that'll hold up…"

"I can work just as fine kneeling," Chris said as he looked down first at the machines and then at Rotor, his curiosity piqued. "That's the second time I've heard that name… who is Tails? Why is he called that?"

"Tails is the youngest of us Freedom Fighters, born shortly before the coup hit," Rotor explained casually. "And while I'm Knothole's primary gearhead, Tails isn't too far behind in that area. As for why he's called that… you'll have to see it to believe it," he gave a small chuckle before moving back over to his original spot.

Interested, but satisfied for the moment, Chris shrugged and sat down before the great pile of machines, devices and parts, and set himself to work. He found it difficult initially; the tools were too small for him, more like children's toys then proper work tools, but in time he adjusted well enough to them, and was soon working rather handily at repairing the machines before him. Gradually, a conversation was struck up between the walrus and the human, and the hours seemed to go by swiftly because of it.

"I've got to say, your parents were pretty on the mark when they named you," Chris quipped as he worked on an electrical motor of sorts.

"It's actually just a massive coincidence," Rotor chuckled as he worked. "'Rotor' is a traditional Holoskan name, it doesn't mean the same thing up there as it does down here."

"Holoska? You're from that far north?" Chris asked, somewhat astonished at the realization that Rotor was an ARCTIC breed of walrus.

"Yep," Rotor said with a nod. "My dad was a pilot in the Royal Air Force… pretty high ranked, too. After the war, when I was seven or so, I really began to show my talent for machines. Pop realized that I'd have a lot more opportunities in the Mobotropolis College of Sciences than I would back home, so he arranged to take me down to Mobotropolis and use his connections to arrange a demonstration with the Dean of the college because I'd apply for a scholarship," Rotor now paused in his work, a faraway expression coming over him as he spoke. "My brother was still too little to travel like that, so my mom stayed behind with him while dad took me to Mobotropolis… shortly after, the coup happened," he sighed heavily. "I made it to Knothole because I was friends with Sally, but I never saw my father again…"

Chris frowned as he worked. "My sympathies," he murmured, pushing back the dark memories of his own loss. "And… What about the rest of your family?," he asked hesitantly, almost afraid to know the answer as he looked over to his newfound friend. To his immense surprise, Rotor smiled gratefully.

"Despite everything, they're alive and well," he chuckled. "What about you? Do you have anyone waiting for you back in Overland?"

"No… I don't," Chris said softly. "Robotnik took everything from me… so I came up with a…" he chuckled despite himself, "Well, a really, REALLY stupid revenge plan." He stopped working for a moment, trying to play it off, but it was… hard to come to grips that he'd essentially come here to fight and quite possibly die in a frankly suicidal attempt. Rotor looked at him, interested. "I didn't really think it out. I got as far as 'Step One – Build Hovership' and 'Step Two – Get to Robotropolis' but… things changed," he said thoughtfully. He snorted at himself. "As if I would somehow manage to end it all… but like I said, I got sidetracked... Long story short, it's why I'm here at the moment."

"I heard… it was a good thing you did for Cream," Rotor said with a smile, then chuckled as the sound of light snoring could be heard within the workshop. Looking over his shoulder towards the door, he placed his hand around his mouth like a loudspeaker, "ISN'T THAT RIGHT, ANTOINE?" he hollered loudly. There was a sound of incoherent sputtering and of someone scrambling to his feet.

"Er, yes, zat is being correct!" Antoine yelped from outside. He then poked his head in, a sheepish expression over his face. "Ah…what is it we are talking about, Rotor?"

"That Chris did a really good deed in helping Cream find her way back," Rotor explained patiently before returning to his machine.

"Ah yes, zis is being true," Antoine nodded, then stepped in. "I am regretting then that I did properly thank you, Chris, for returning my beloved Bunnie's little cousin to her mother!" he proclaimed melodramatically, waving his arms around for affect.

"Your girlfriend is Cream's cousin?" Chris asked, totally missing the proper noun in that last sentence. "Wow… what's her name then?"

"I just told you zat; Bunnie," Antoine said, raising his brow. "Iz zis not being obvious?"

"…her name is _Bunnie_?" Chris asked, not able to hold back his astonishment. "Bunnie _Rabeau_?"

"Iz zhere something wrong with zis name?" Antoine narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Chris stared for a moment before realizing that no, he really didn't get it.

"Well, er, no… there's nothing wrong with it at all, it's a lovely name," Chris said hastily. "It's just… you really don't think that it's a little… odd… to name a rabbit _Bunnie_?" he asked, honestly curious now that he'd had this latest chapter in the apparently sadistic naming conventions of Mobians. And here he'd thought being named Cream was a bad pun…

"Not particularly… a lot of Mobians have names that reference their species," Rotor piped up from his spot. "It's just how things are done in the Kingdom of Acorn."

"And zis is a time honored tradition, at zat," Antoine stated huffily, eyes still narrowed at the human and his head perched high and haughty, which ironically was the only thing letting him meet Chris's eyes.

"Well… if you say so," Chris conceded before resuming his own repair works, deciding that he would save his curiosity for a book or such to explain the mentality behind the warped naming conventions of the Mobians. He still couldn't wrap his head around it… a rabbit named Bunnie, of all things. What, would people forget she was a rabbit or something? There was something he was clearly missing in the logic of this, and he vowed to himself that he'd figure out just what it was that prompted this sort of thing from the Mobians.

With that, the conversation died down as all three concentrated on their respective work; Rotor on his device, Chris on the repairs, and Antoine on watching over Chris. Chris himself had lost track of time when a sudden loud beeping noise began to ring throughout the hut, Chris looking around wildly for the source of the noise. Rotor for his part calmly reached over to the source, a small communicator that had been beside him during his work and without another word he flipped it open. "Rotor here; what's the trouble Sal? Mm-hmm… Mmm-hm… okay, got it, we'll be right on it." Snapping it shut he looked over to Chris. "There's a problem with water wheel's electrical generator, it's not distributing energy properly," Rotor said with a frown. "Every other month some new problem seems to come up with that one."

"I'll do what I can," Chris nodded, setting his tools aside and standing up. "Lead the way, fearless leader," he said.

"It iz you to being fearless to follow him to his machines," Antoine muttered to himself. Rather than get angry, Rotor just chuckled.

"Really, one accident and I'm branded for life."

"Zat 'accident' left me bald! I was being ze laughingstock for months!" Antoine snapped indignantly, and Chris could not help but stare at the two, brow furrowed in curiosity and more than a little fear. Picking up at this, Rotor looked up at him and smiled.

"It's a long story, one for another time and besides," Rotor now smirked towards Antoine. "Shouldn't Sonic and the rest be getting back from their mission soon…?"

Antoine's eyes widened. "You are being right! _Ma cheri_, she is to be waiting for me!" he then forced himself to be calm as he spoke next, somewhat hurriedly. "I am seeing now zat you are having ze situation totally under your control and as such I am allowing you total custody over Chris. _Au revoir_!"

And with that, the coyote was gone in a flash, leaving Chris to just shake his head slightly. "I already had this explained to me by the princess but… well… The Royal Guard isn't quite what I was expecting."

"I've known him for most of my life and still find it a little hard to believe," Rotor murmured in confession, watching after the love struck coyote and scratching his head. "But by that, I also know he's a lot better at being a Freedom Fighter then his behavior would suggest."

"So I've heard," Chris remarked wryly.

"Come on then, we got a generator to fix." And with that the two headed off for the aforementioned water wheel, quickly opening up the electrical components beside it and poking about to see what was wrong. Conversations and debate passed between the two with regards as to how to solve the problem. Eventually, after careful observation Chris was able to observe the source of the problem; acid had built up in one of the wires. "Cripes, it figures the simplest explanation would be the one that doesn't come to us most readily," Rotor muttered to himself as he rifled around his toolbox for a spare wire.

"Ain't that the truth," Chris chuckled weakly, attempting to keep a façade of good humor, which was getting difficult. They were out in the open and Chris felt very nervous, and very exposed. Mobians supposedly didn't like guns, but all it would take is one dissenter, and… He shivered, looking around nervously. Although there weren't too many Mobians around, the few that were had the distinct expression of someone who has just quickly turned away after staring at something… or someone. Years of battlefield experience made him aware of the faint whispers following him… unless he was falling apart already and it was all in his mind. One onlooker, a raccoon woman with a child, hurried to force her curious youngster away the instant his gaze settled on them. Chris felt his heart sink about a mile into the earth, swallowing dryly as he tried to keep calm. There had been a lot of hardship in his life, but this was new, and extremely painful. After all that he'd been through with Cream, it came as a painful shock to be reminded of just how he was going to be perceived by many of these people.

"Chris? Chris!"

Chris snapped back to reality with a flinch, head shooting to look down at Rotor; so wrapped up in bitter paranoia he had been, he hadn't noticed that the walrus was speaking with him. Rotor for his part gazed up at him with a raised eyebrow. Chris winced and rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed to have spaced out and to have responded in such an undignified fashion. "Ah, right, sorry; what do you need, Rotor?" he asked with a murmur.

"Just a circuit welder…" Rotor replied. "Are you… alright, Chris?" he asked carefully.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Chris said hastily. His expression said otherwise, though. "I'm okay…" It was only half-hearted this time. He then rummaged about the toolbox and pulled out the welder, handing it over to Rotor as swiftly as he could manage. Despite his words, Rotor did not seem all that convinced even as he turned to resume work.

"Well, if you say so Chris," he said with a shrug before re-focusing his attentions on the wire. Chris let out a quiet sigh… a year spent in a city of death, and he was starting to lose it in a community that actually had a semblance of normalcy. Irony was turning out to be a really annoying little bastard. He kept his silence as Rotor worked, and this time around he managed to keep his cool by instead focusing on Rotor's repairs rather than on the people around him. For a moment this seemed to work, until from the corner of his eye he spotted a shine of sunlight reflecting off metal and spun to face it, already hearing the crack of an improvised weapon ringing in his ears…

He was relieved to find that the source of the glare hadn't been a weapon… but all the more startled that it had come from a set of three metallic limbs.

Bunnie Rabbot, Antoine by her side, took a step back when the human whirled to face her and then promptly jerked back in shock, a somewhat strangled sound coming from his throat. Bunnie winced at the response, while Antoine actually dashed behind the bionic rabbit with a flinch. "Ah… hello there, sug," Bunnie chuckled weakly. "Ah just came to congradulate the fellah responsible fer bringin' mah little cousin back to her momma… Ah didn't come at a bad time, did I?" Despite being a good two feet taller than most Mobians, Chris sighed as embarrassment washed over him and made him feel about ten inches tall.

"Not at all, we're just about done here," Rotor responded without turning around, while Chris's memory went back to the conversation from earlier, about Cream's cousin Bunnie. Recognition and confusion dawned in his eyes. This was clearly Bunnie, but what was with the bionic limb replacements? He hadn't thought they'd had that advanced technology for that sort of medical treatment… And what had she been through to get them?

"Ah… what he said," Chris murmured, trying to shake off his embarrassment, and cracked a weak smile. "I've heard about you. You're Cream's cousin, Bunnie, right?" he cautiously ventured. Bunnie nodded, smiling with a bit more confidence while Antoine busied himself trying to regain a bit of his dignity, quickly emerging from behind his beloved and attempting to act as if nothing had happened.

"Sure am, hun. Name's Bunnie, Bunnie Rabbot," The aforementioned rabbot gave a small, polite bow as she introduced herself, though Chris once more found himself staring in shock.

"_Rabbot_?" They had to be pulling his leg at this point. No one could possibly be that cruel. After all, names that referenced you species was strange, but okay. Names that referenced specific trauma… That was going a little far. "Ah… a pleasure to meet you, Bunnie…" Now that the name was out in the open, he couldn't stop himself from lingering over the implications of her limbs. What kind of hell had this poor creature been through to require bionic replacements for three of her limbs? It staggered the imagination.

Bunnie for her part raised a brow at his response. "Somethin' the matter, sug?"

"You are having a problem with _mon cherie, Monsieur_?" Antoine narrowed his eyes accusingly as he asked the question, and Chris hastily raised his hands in defense.

"No no, nothing like that. I'm just… ah… a little overwhelmed. I've never seen someone with so many erm… ah…" Chris mentally scrambled to locate the appropriate word for what he was trying to convey, but Bunnie cut him to the quick, placing a metallic hand to her thigh and looking up to him with a skeptical raise of her brow.

"Roboticized limbs?" she offered with a drawl, the kind of drawl that suggested she'd been in this situation more times than she'd care to remember. Chris for his part was thrown for a loop at the revelation.

"Er, actually I was going to say artificial limbs. Did you say roboticized?"

"Oh!" Bunnie's eyes widened in realization, and she let out a small chuckle. "Oh, no sug, Ah didn't lose mah limbs that way; I got these from a close encounter with th' Roboticizer," she explained with a gentle smile. "Means there's a tiny chance Ah can get mah old back someday," a wistful, faraway look came over her, prompting Antoine to place his hand to her shoulder.

"Someday," he murmured in reassurance to her. To Chris it seemed like an impossible dream, but then the very concept of a device capable of manipulating flesh and blood into steel and oil seemed like something out of fantasy. Privately he hoped the 'Rabbot' did indeed accomplish this goal, if only to spite Robotnik all the further.

"Understood, and I'm sorry for my behavior back there," Chris murmured, rubbing the back of his head while giving an apologetic looking. "I guess I'm rather… uncomfortable out in the open still."

"Aw, it ain't nothin' honey," Bunnie waved off his concerns with a grin. "And from what Ah've been hearin', I owe you a great deal 'a thanks."

"There'll be plenty of time to do that back at my hut," Rotor chose now to spoke up as he finished his work, sealing up the panel and giving it a small pat before standing up to face his friends. "We're done here, and there's still plenty back at the workshop," he said with a smile, nodding over to Bunnie. "Mission successful, I take it?" he lifted up his toolbox as he spoke, and Bunnie allowed her smile to grow into a prideful smirk.

"Sure was sugah! We've been on a right ol' roll this week," Bunnie said. "If'n Robotnik wasn't already bald, I'd say he'd be tearin' his hair out."

"Heh, excellent," Rotor placed the welder back into the toolbox and picked it up. "You can tell us all about it back at the workshop."

Chris kept his silence as the Mobians chatted amongst themselves even as they headed off back to Rotor's workshop, feeling rather like a fifth (technically fourth) wheel. Like many other things, it served as a glaring reminder of just how out of touch he'd become with some basic fundamentals of life. He might have felt a twinge of bitterness, but hearing Bunnie recount how she and the others in Robotropolis had managed to take another small chunk out of Robotnik's base of operations helped to keep him happy. Even once the group reached its destination, Chris remained comfortably out of the way, resuming his original spot and absently repairing whatever devices came into view, tuning out the chatter as he worked. Memories washed over him again, and he found himself remembering the good times in the mess hall, after missions, remembering the victories, failures, and embarrassments that came with living a desperate war for survival…

"Chris, you listenin'?"

Not for the first time that day, Chris felt himself jerked back to reality and scrambling to face the source of the words, a rather amused looking Bunnie. "Mah stars, sug, you intend on keepin' yer head in the clouds all the time?" her tone was playful rather than admonishing, and Chris smiled weakly, feeling rather like an inexperienced child at kindergarten for the first time.

"Sorry about that. I'm still getting used to the idea of being around more than a few people at any given time," he said. "Uh, what was it you were discussing before…?"

"I was just askin' how you managed to find mah little cousin is all," Bunnie said with a chuckle.

"Didn't Diablo tell you?" Chris asked, raising a brow. Antoine chose this moment to speak up.

"Monsieur Diablo did not give us ze exact details, save zat you risked much bringing Cream with you," the Mercian coyote stated officiously.

"Well… there's not too much to tell; I found her by accident," Chris said, taking a moment to set aside his tools and to face Bunnie and Antoine. Truth be told, he was starting to feel a bit like a broken record as he summarized the previous couple of weeks. He decided to again avoid the main motivations for his leaving, choosing instead to begin at the construction of the Deliverance, and quickly filled in the gaps between that, arriving at Pinehaven, arriving at the Wolf Pack's caves, and finally Knothole. Chris felt he was getting better at telling this particular story as he concluded, "… And after THAT particular series of terrifying events, we ended up here."

Bunnie let out a low whistle. "That's quite a story there sugah, and either way Ah'm in yer debt… never thought Ah'd be sayin' that to an Overlander," Bunnie rubbed the back of her head with her organic arm, her expression becoming discomforted. "Ah… no offense, there, hun," she chuckled weakly.

"None taken," Chris said, allowing himself a small smile. "In all frankness I'd been hoping to simply drop Cream off and continue on my own way, at least until I was convinced otherwise back with the wolves. This is all as odd for me as it is for you, I promise." Turning back to his work, he continued speaking. "Being in a Mobian village… I told Vanilla the same thing this morning, but there's still something surreal about it all for me."

"Ze feeling is being mutual," Antoine drawled, receiving an elbow to the gut from Bunnie.

"Antoine!" she scolded, her voice a hiss. Chris's good mood evaporated suddenly, feeling a sudden tension build in his mind. It was fine. He could deal with it…

"What? It iz being true!" Antoine said in protest, rubbing his wounded belly. "_Mon pere _fought against his kind during ze War! And what of Robotnik, who iz also one of hiz kind? Iz thiz not strange to…"

… or maybe not. Chris felt the tension in him reach a breaking point and carefully placed the child-sized tool he'd been working with down to his side, feeling his arm tighten with anger as he raised it into the air...

Suddenly, Antoine was interrupted as Chris slammed down a fist on the wooden table he'd been sitting in front of (ironically almost undoing his hard work to repair the components laid on top of it), causing all Mobians present to flinch and stared at the source, Rotor even halting his work and looking over his shoulder in shock. Chris breathed heavily for a moment, though perfectly still and silent otherwise. Then, very carefully and slowly, he stood up and turned around to face Antoine, his expression neutral. Antoine swallowed hard and broke out into a fine sweat, now keenly aware of what he had just said and whom he had said to, and similarly became very aware of just how large the human was compared to him. Bunnie, not liking the sudden spike in tension, unconsciously drew herself closer to her lover to act as a shield just in case things suddenly spiraled even more out of control. For a moment, Chris remained silent, gazing down at Antoine with a controlled impassiveness. Then, he spoke once more.

"Antoine," Chris spoke out, his voice as flat as his own expression. Antoine began to tremble, and smiled nervously.

"Ah… _oui_?"

"I know I'm a stranger. I know I know there is a lot of history, and a lot of warfare between our people. I can understand that you don't trust me yet. That's okay. I can understand all that," Chris stated evenly, then took a step forward and knelt down so that he was at eye level with Antoine, his gaze now hard and his voice taking on a similarly hard edge as he continued to speak. "But there's one thing you just said that's not okay. Don't ever compare me to Robotnik ever again. Ever. He is not one of my kind, and never was as far as I'm concerned."

By this point shaking like a leaf, Antoine winced as the magnitude of his blunder began to dawn on him.

"Okay?" Chris said, maintaining his gaze and tone. Antoine shut his eyes and let out a heavy sigh, managing to stop shaking as he spoke.

"Ah… oui, Chris, we are being clear," Antoine murmured, abashed. Opening his eyes, he gazed pleadingly at Chris. "Please, be believing me, I did not mean it like zat…"

Chris nodded calmly, feeling a lot of his previous tension bleed away "I believe you. And it's okay. Just never, ever do that again as long as you live, and we'll be fine." The human then stood up and returned to his post, casting a glance over to Antoine. "This is hard for all of us. All I want is not to be lumped in with the looney who took away anything that I ever cared about."

"Once more, I am understanding," Antoine murmured. "And once more, I am apologizing."

"Apology accepted," Chris smiled softly before returning to work, as if nothing had happened. Both Rotor and Bunnie stared at him for a moment, Rotor slowly resuming his own work while Bunnie allowed herself to loosen up, sighing and placing her hand on Antoine's shoulder, her expression halfway between admonishment and relief. "So… your father fought in the Great War?" Chris asked idly.

"Erm, yes, zat is being correct," Antoine said cautiously, raising a wary brow. "Why are you asking?"

"Once I heal up, I intend to help the Freedom Fighters out on the field, and as that means I'll likely be working alongside you eventually it can't hurt to know a bit more about you. I've already heard a bit about Rotor," Chris nodded in Rotor's direction and then shrugged. "That and I'm a bit curious to hear about the War from the other side. My grandfather always said that I should try and see every side of a story, so this seems like a pretty good time to put that philosophy to the test."

Now placed within territory he was comfortable with, Antoine smirked and puffed his chest out a bit. "Well zhen, since you have been so kind was to ask, I shall regale you with ze tales of my noble warrior lineage."

"Hope you realize you just opened the floodgates there," Rotor quipped from his bench, prompting a giggle from Bunnie and a smirk from Chris.

"_Pas de commentaire, s'il vous plait_," Antoine said dismissively before beginning to pace about, his tone becoming authoritative and proud as he began to recount the tale of his forebears. "To begin with, it may surprise you to know, zat my father was none other zen ze great general Armand D'Coolette, finest officer in all of ze Kingdom of Acorn."

That _did _surprise Chris, and he halted for a moment as he processed the information. "_You_ are Armand D'Coolette's son?" he asked, doing a passable job of hiding his incredulity at the thought of the pompous and nervous coyote being the son of one of the few Mobian generals to earn a smidgen of respect from Overland's armies.

"_Oui_, I am indeed being his son," Antoine beamed with pride. "It iz being of no surprise zat tales of my father's valor and prowez have been reached even to ze ears of Overlanderz."

"Indeed, he was often mentioned back home by the veterans," Chris said diplomatically as he could manage. Armand D'Coolette had been admired for his bravery in the face of certain doom and for being able to put up a decent fight despite the disadvantages of the Royal Army, but he was not regarded with quite the level of awe that Antoine was ascribing him. It would be best, Chris wagered, to not do anything to alter Antoine's perception of his father.

"As I said," Antoine smirked. "My father was ze top general in ze Kingdom, ze right hand man to ze King. It was under hiz direction zat Knothole was created, and under him zat I received training to be one of ze Royal Guards, in service to ze Princess and ze Kingdom against ze tyranny of Robotnik," his bombastic demeanor deflated a bit, a saddened expression coming across his face. "It iz in his honor zat I wear ze uniform and continue my duties to ze princess… he disappeared many years ago," he murmured, Bunnie placing a hand to his shoulder in sympathy as the sad memories arose.

"I am sorry to hear that," Chris said softly, though he took note of the fact that the general wasn't confirmed dead or alive, and considering Robotnik's mania for enslaving Mobians it seemed probable that he might still be alive, though obviously he chose not to bring this up… he wasn't quite so familiar with Antoine at this point as to do so. It felt odd feeling a twinge of sympathy for the son of one of his nation's sworn enemies, but at this point it was becoming more and more clear that some things just weren't worth clinging to.

"You are telling me," Antoine murmured, before instantly resuming his old attitude. "But, zhat is besides ze point; I am from a proud and noble lineage of Mercian warriors, and so, I shall make my father proud and uphold ze honor of ze family name. I shall do justice to his memory," Antoine stated dramatically, thrusting his hand to the air. "This I am swearing!"

"A noble goal," Chris noted, and then smirked as a wicked idea entered his mind. "Say, is that a spider on your collar?"

"GAH! GETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOOO-OOFFF!" Antoien shrieked, jumping around and flailing like a maniac in his attempts to get the 'spider' off of him, much to the amusement of Rotor and Bunnie. When he finally calmed down the realization dawned upon him concerning the fact that the spider in question did not exist, and he glared at Chris balefully. "…zat was not funny," he huffed.

"… I'm terribly sorry, I couldn't resist." Chris said, congratulating himself on keeping his face straight as he said that. Antoine for his part simply crossed his arms and snorted disdainfully, turning his nose up and away from the human and muttering to himself in Dumonti. Chris then looked over his shoulder at Bunnie, who was still trying to collect herself for the sake of her lover. "And you Bunnie? Any stories to share?"

"Mah family came from the Southern Baronies, and mah papa was a big wheel in th' industrial sector. Mah family always ended up travelin' up north to Mobotropolis on business, and he wound up bein' the main supplier of electrical and mechanical equipment to King Acorn, so they were always meetin' about somethin' or other. I was just a little girl back then, didn't really know all that much about what was goin' on," Bunnie shrugged before smiling. "What Ah did care about was the fact that while the grown-ups were away, Ah got to play with mah friends; Sal, Rotor, Sugar-Hog, even Antoine," she grinned, pinching at Antoine's cheek with her organic hand. "And he was such a cute lil' muffin. Still is, matter of fact," she cooed, while Antoine did his best to seem dignified… and failed miserably, blushing furiously even through his fur.

"So… all of you grew up together? And you now fight against Robotnik as Freedom Fighters?" Chris asked.

"Yep," Rotor spoke up with a chuckle. "It sounds like something out of a cheesy old film, but it's true; we all knew each other as kids, and when we got older we all started taking it to Robotnik as best we could… with pretty good success at that. Half the stuff Sonic alone has pulled off… it really is amazing."

Chris felt a slight twitch at the mention of Sonic, the resentment spiking up in an instant and forcing himself to suppress it. "Really now?" he asked, perhaps a bit less than enthused to hear more.

"It'd take way too long to go into it all, but Sonic is pretty much one of the major things helping us turn the tide in this war," Rotor elaborated. "Robotnik _hates _him. So much that he's actually programmed to consider Sonic as a Priority One threat," the Walrus sniggered. "Heck, half the time we don't even need Sonic to do much save distract the Swats and let us do the rest."

"How fortuitous," Chris stated flatly, suddenly finding the random bit of machinery before him rather fascinating. As the conversation turned towards the exploits of the Freedom Fighters of the day (centering mostly around what Sonic had done), Chris once more found it necessary to tune out the chatter and focus his efforts upon the work at hand. A shame, he mused somewhat bitterly. He'd been having a reasonably good time until the hedgehog had been mentioned, as well as reminded of the fact that sooner or later he would have to face the object of his resentment in the village.

"So, how did it go?"

By now it was the late afternoon, and in the command hut's meeting room Rotor met with Sally to discuss the latest member of Knothole's community. By this point the day was for the most part over, and Chris was in the process of being escorted back to Vanilla's hut. Rotor placed a clawed hand under his hat to scratch at his head for a moment before speaking.

"Well… in all honesty? He strikes me as an okay guy, but a little, well, tense. And I can't exactly blame him for that," Rotor stated, crossing his arms over his chest. "Things pretty much went without incident, and once he started to open up he was actually pretty chatty. The closest thing we came to an incident was when Antoine said something… unfortunate."

Sally groaned and placed her face in the palm of her hand. "What did he say, and what did Chris do?"

"Well, Antoine pointed out how weird it felt to have him around considering we're fighting Robotnik," Sally winced at that, "And Chris… well, Chris actually let him off the hook."

"He did?" Sally looked up at Rotor with a raised brow, to which the walrus nodded rapidly.

"Yeah, he did. I mean it was pretty clear he was ticked off by the Robotnik thing, but he actually just told Antoine not to do it again, and they pretty much made up," Rotor shrugged. "The guy has got a demon or two, that much is certain. But I think it's possible that he might be able to adjust to living here pretty well, all things considered."

"This is just the first day, Rotor, and we have no clue how many more are ahead of us," Sally said wearily. "But what you're telling me is fairly encouraging… thanks for keeping me informed about him."

Rotor smiled lightly. "No problem. Like you said though, he needs to take things slowly, but I really do think he might be able to live here peacefully enough."

"I really hope you are right. Lupe seems confident about that at least," Sally noted, letting herself calm a little. Despite everything she could not help but be just a bit on-edge about Chris and his development in the town, and had explicitly asked both the Freedom Fighters and the villagers not to crowd him. From what Rotor had told her, it would seem the idea was paying off. A determined edge came over her eyes and voice. "It'll just take a bit of time, that's all," she stated, clapping the base of her fist into the palm of her hands. "Anything else I should know?"

"Well, he tends to… I dunno, space out a bit," Rotor rubbed the back of his head as he spoke.

"Space out?" Sally asked, brow raised once more.

"Yeah, his mind wanders is what I mean, and he seems to be really tense when in large groups. Back when we were repairing that hydro-generator there were a lot of villagers around. Nothing happened, but I think it spooked Chris a bit," Rotor said.

"Well, you DID say he had a ways to go," Sally quipped. "But if nobody tried anything with him, I think that at least answers the second half of this equation… the village itself." She nodded to Rotor. "Alright, you're free to go. Once more, thanks for your time."

"Happy to be of help Sal," Rotor said, turning to head out and pausing midway. "Oh, and Sally?"

"Yes?"

"For what it's worth, I really do think he can make it here."

Sally let out a sigh. "I really, really hope you and Lupe are right."

"Well, we'll know eventually won't we?" Rotor gave a small smile. "See you tomorrow, Sal."

"See you then, Rotor," Sally said, smiling in kind as the walrus finally left, leaving her with the rather mountainous collection of thoughts, concerns and plans that often accumulated in her mind, of which Chris was only a small part of.

Chris in the meantime once more found himself following Antoine back towards Vanilla's house. Arriving and giving his goodbyes to the coyote, Chris maneuvered himself into the hut. "Hello? Anybody ho-whoa!"

A cream colored blur slammed into his midsection, followed by a similar turquoise projectile that succeeded in flooring him, causing him to land on his bottom in a rather undignified manner. At around his middle small arms where wrapped, and Cream nuzzled him affectionately as she hugged him, Cheese joining in.

"You're home! Oh how wonderful, I have so much to tell you!"

"Chao chao chao!"

"You don't say?" Chris chuckled, smiling down at the pair as they beamed up at him. "I take it you both had a good day then?"

"Oh we did, we really did," Cream nodded joyously as she released the human, allowing him to adjust himself to a kneeling position as he listened to her rattle off at high speed. "There are lots of other children here and I've met so many of them and a lot of other people from my village-!"

"Now Cream, Chris has had a very busy day himself," Vanilla's voice rang out as she entered into the main hall, now dressed in her usual attire rather than the working clothes she had donned earlier in the morning. A pleasant smile graced her face as she observed the scene before her. "Give him some time to relax a bit before telling him your day."

"Okay," Cream murmured obediently, but then beamed once more. "Momma finished your chair while you were away!"

"Did she now?" Chris asked as he stood up, looking over to Vanilla for confirmation. Vanilla gave a polite nod in return.

"I did indeed… care to give it a test?" she waved over to the hallway. "You can rest while Cream fills you in on her day, and we were just about to have dinner."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Chris nodded, and with that Vanilla led her family and guest to the dining room area. Awaiting him was a welcome sight; the chair Vanilla had been working on earlier, finished and ready to be tested. The table was already set for the inhabitants of the hut, and at the stove he could see the food being prepared; a kind of vegetable stew. Cream and Cheese bounced off to their seats, while Chris approached his chair and observed it for a moment before turning about and sitting down on it carefully. Not so much as a creak as he got comfortable, smiling towards Vanilla and giving her a thumb up. "Stellar work, Vanilla. Thanks a lot."

"Oh, don't mention it Chris. It really is the least I could do," Vanilla demurely responded as she headed for the stove, checking up on the stew and discovering to her delight that it was completed. In short order, everyone was at the table, eating the fine meal and conversing amongst themselves rather, with Cream providing great insight into the kind of day she and Cheese had had.

"-there are a lot of other children in this village, and a lot of them live with this nice woodchuck lady called Rosie," Cream explained merrily. "They all really liked me and Cheese, and I even met some people I knew back in our old village. And there was this really neat hedgehog girl called Amy; she's my new friend!"

"Heh, congrats on that then, Cream," Chris said pleasantly, more than pleased to hear of how well Cream was adjusting to life in Knothole. "You know, I met your cousin Bunnie today."

"So did I. She's really amazing!" Cream gushed, Cheese nodding and cooing in agreement. "She's a Freedom Fighter you know; she helps the Princess and Sonic and all the others fight against Robotnik, and her robot arm and legs make her super strong. And her boyfriend is funny!"

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Chris smiled. "You come from a rather talented family, it seems."

"Do you think I could be a Freedom Fighter?" Cream asked in wonderment. Chris let out a sigh at the statement, but didn't lose his smile.

"I think you could. But hopefully, you won't have to," Chris said diplomatically. "Trust me on this, you should never be too eager to stop being a kid… even with the world in the state it is today, those are still some of the best times of your life."

"Chris is right, Cream," Vanilla spoke up. "Enjoy your childhood while it lasts, and cherish the memories of it."

"Okay," she murmured, looking somewhat downcast. "I just want to help people, that's all."

"You might not know it, but you being here alone is helping people," Chris piped up, reaching over to pat her back lightly. "You and all those other kids? You give people hope for the future, because your being here means that you aren't under Robotnik's control, and that means that there's something worth fighting for in this whole mess." Cream looked up at him with big eyes, awed by the statement.

"Really?"

"Yes, really," Chris nodded, and she beamed joyously. Cheese however looked over to him curiously, floating up beside him with his nubby hand on his chin.

"Chao chao?"

"Cheese wants to know if he brings hope as well," Cream interjected helpfully. Chris gave a weary smile and nodded.

"Yeah, he does; he's something not under Robotnik's control after all."

With those words Cheese beamed, rather pleased to hear that before floating of to take his place beside Cream and re-focus on eating his stew. Seeing her friend abated, Cream decided to continue on with the conversation.

"Did you know they have a dragon living here?"

Chris nearly choked on his mouthful of food and coughed slightly even after hastily swallowing, looking over to Cream with wide eyes. "A dragon? Here?"

"It's true!" Cream said with a grin. "Her name is Dulcy, she's really nice. She helps the Freedom Fighters with missions."

Chris for his part was still reeling from the revelation, and he looked over to Vanilla in confusion. "Did you know about this?"

"I only recently found out myself," the older rabbit shrugged, smiling apologetically. "If it helps, I was just as surprised as you are."

"Wow… It's just… dragons haven't been seen in any significant number in ages, they never leave their homelands. How the heck did one end up here of all places?" Chris asked aloud, not expecting a real answer.

"Maybe you could ask her when you meet her?" Vanilla offered up pleasantly.

"I think I'll do just that," Chris murmured to himself as he resumed his meal. And so dinner came and went, and the evening crept down upon the odd little group of human, Mobian and Chao. Chris gladly collected dishes and set to washing them, while Cream obediently headed off for bed with Cheese in tow, once more leaving Vanilla and Chris to speak with one another just as they had in the early morning.

"You never did bring up how your day went," Vanilla noted as Chris finished drying off the dishes, handing them to her and letting her place them back into the cupboards. "How did everything go?"

"It went… okay," Chris conceded with a small smile. "I almost had a freak out moment when we had to go fix some machines in the middle of town. Being around so many Mobians at once… it kinda set me on edge there for a moment, but honestly? Things went well; Rotor seems like a pretty good guy, and I didn't end up getting lynched or attacked… not bad for a first day spent in a village where I'm surrounded by people who either fear me or hate me," he remarked rather dryly.

"Well… it IS only the first day," Vanilla said gently as she finished placing the dishes away, turning to face Chris as he cleaned off his hands. "As you said, you never went into this expecting to adjust instantly."

"True, but the reality of it is still… I can't really find a word to describe it," Chris said with a frown, heading back to the table and sitting down, and letting out a sigh. "I'd call it alienation, but there's this nagging feeling in the back of my head that even if I was among my own kind I'd still be on edge… But then, there'd have to be any of my kind left." he murmured glumly. Vanilla put a hand to her mouth, eyes wide with shock.

"You… you mean you're-?"

"Possibly the last human alive with hair on his head," Chris finished for her, cracking a very sad smile. "I've had a full year to come to grips with that fact. It's part of the reason I left Overland."

"Oh, oh Christopher, I'm so sorry," Vanilla said sadly. "I… I had no idea…"

"I'm… not really looking to make it a widely known fact," Chris said, shaking his head. "I spent an entire year back home, trying to get in contact with others without success. When it became clear that there might not be any others, I decided to just throw caution to the wind and risked everything to come into Mobos in the hopes of doing _something _to…" his fists clenched, "Well, you can probably guess. I guess I just wanted to do something useful with my life, even if it only amounted to crashing my ship into his headquarters," he explained, looking over to a shocked and saddened Vanilla. "I… I didn't have the heart to tell Cream the full truth of why I left…" he confessed, shaking a little and placing his hand to his forehead as he tried to keep his emotions in check. "What could I tell her? That the whole reason I even came here was because I'd lost hope? That it was just… just a stupid suicide run…?" he forced himself back into a calm, rubbing at his eyes to covertly wipe at the minute of moisture that had been developing there and thankful that at the very least he could stop his voice from cracking.

Vanilla hesitated a moment before steeling herself and stepping forward. "You'll have to tell her eventually, you know," she said firmly. "But I don't think you should, not until you get yourself in order. This is weighing horribly on you, and you're trying to push it all aside… it isn't healthy."

"I know, I know," Chris murmured and then sighed. "I really shouldn't have brought it up… the last thing you need is me burdening you with my problems," he said, shooting her an apologetic look as he spoke.

"I told you that I owe you a great deal," Vanilla stated without so much as pausing, standing by him and reaching up to his shoulder, her hand hesitating a moment before she placed it to his shoulder. "If you so need it… you can talk to me, if you wish," she said with determination, softening soon after. "You gave me my little girl back. Your problems aren't a burden to me."

Chris looked at her for a long moment as years of repressed memories threatened to break out. Another still quite strong part rebelled. As cathartic as it might be, he just couldn't quite let it go. Was it pride? Shame, perhaps? There was the strange feeling that he should put on a strong front sticking with him. What if she told the princess? How would that look? He couldn't risk it. It was the only thing he had left. He put his hand on hers, leaving it there for just a moment, before gently brushing her hand from his shoulder. "That's very kind of you, Vanilla… I might even take you up on that eventually. But for now… for now I'd rather try and keep my demons with me," he said softly, giving a small smile to her as he spoke. "But once more, thank you for being willing to listen."

Privately, Vanilla thought it foolish for him to insist on keeping his troubles to himself, for a wide variety of reasons. However, she could not force the issue, and so relented. "Alright," she said, taking a step back. "I never thought I'd end up offering my services as a therapist to a human," she noted a bit dryly as she looked up to her guest. Chris for his part managed a wry smirk in response.

"And I never thought I'd have a Mobian offer me counseling, so I'd say we're about even," he quipped before turning his head to look at a hanging clock. "Well! Uh, it's getting late…" The excuse was rather feeble, but enough for him to beat a hasty retreat, away from confusing emotions and painful memories. "I should head to bed."

"I will be doing so as well," Vanilla said with a nod. "With Cream tucked away and everything in order, I've not much else left to do save gather my energy for the next day."

"I hear that," Chris said in concurrence. "Good night, Vanilla… thanks once more for the chair. You really have no idea what a lifesaver it's been."

"I'm sure my furniture agrees with you," Vanilla beamed, prompting a laugh out of Chris.

"Oh come on, you're not being fair; I'm not even that big for my species!"

"Really?" She looked up at him curiously, cocking her head.

"Honestly? I'm a little on the short side," Chris confessed with a slight blush. "I mean, I'm not tiny or anything, just a little under what's considered average…"

"Whatever your size by the standards of overlanders, my furniture was not designed with you in mind," Vanilla noted wryly, but smiled all the same. "It just means I'm going to have my hands full these coming weeks, getting you settled in and making sure this house is a bit more comfortable for you."

"That's another thing I'm gonna have to thank you for, ma'am," Chris said, Vanilla smiling at the title.

"Oh please, just call me Vanilla."

"I'll be sure to in the future," Chris nodded. "Good night, Vanilla. Thanks for everything."

"Good night, Christopher. Thank you for my daughter."

With that, the two went their separate ways, Vanilla heading for her bedchamber while Chris headed for his own sleeping quarters, shedding his clothes save for his undergarments and climbing into the undersized bed, noting that it wasn't quite as uncomfortable as it had been previously… was he already getting used to it? Well, if that was the case, the sooner the better; this had been the first day of his new life, and so far he could say… he wasn't regretting his choice to remain, at least so far. Perhaps, just perhaps, he could honestly do this; and for Cream's sake, he would.

With that in mind, the events of the day caught up with him and he soon drifted off into sleep, blessed once more to experience no nightmares as he lay asleep, all worries and fears forgotten for the time being.

It wouldn't last.


	14. Blowing the Bubble

**Disclaimer: **Good. Flipping. Lord. This was not meant to take so long. This was NOT meant to take so long. Technically it was ready weeks ago, WEEKS. But the initial draft was so long, so very, very long, it needed to be split in to three separate chapters… and that as really for the best given that as it was it would have disrupted the flow. For those who read my crap, thank you for your patience. For those of you just tuning in… bully for you. I can promise you that subsequent chapters won't take nearly so long. Anyway, I own nothing; it's all SEGA really. And I don 't make this for profit, simply the entertainment of others.

**A Difficult Road Traveled**

**Chapter Fourteen: Blowing the Bubble…**

It had started off as a nice day.

Chris awoke in bed, sitting up with a yawn. "Another night of no nightmares," he murmured to himself as he rubbed his eyes clear, noting the pleasant sunshine and sounds of birds chirping just as he had done the first time he had awoken. "A guy could get used to this," he chuckled as he stood up from the bed and made it up, both out of habit and out of politeness to his generous hostess. It still astounded him to have a proper bed again after so many years; even when not properly sized for him it was still preferable to the nearly concrete hard mats that he had slept in back in the resistance. With the bed back in order, Chris decided to engage in some early exercises; just because he was living a somewhat more comfortable life than he had back at the base was no excuse for him to get too used to the idea. Minding his would, he focused on easier things; push-ups, sit-ups, and a few light calisthenics here and there, giving great care to not put any undue stress on his wound. Just as soon as he finished the smell of food cooking wafted into his room, and he found himself disturbingly unsurprised that he could not readily identify what the meal might be. Years without properly cooked meals would do that to a man. His stomach growled slightly, and he couldn't help but give a small chuckle. "Soon my pet, soon," he cooed as he stroked his belly, as if he were trying to calm down an agitated animal.

The beast abated, he got to work on the next step of his morning ritual; hygiene. Looking about his room he managed to locate a towel and quickly exited his room, heading for the bathroom. Relieved to see no one was using it he hurried inside, locking the door behind him. Turning on the shower and testing its heat out, he quickly stripped down and hopped in, sighing happily as he rapidly scrubbed himself down and hopped out, not even taking five minutes as he kept the water conservation rules in mind. Cleaned and dressed he headed out for the kitchen, smiling when he saw Vanilla. "Good morning, Vanilla," he said politely as he entered, eyes wandering to the stove. "Man, something smells good… what's the grub?"

"Good morning to you too, Chris," Vanilla replied, looking over her shoulder to give him a welcoming smile even as she continued her work. "This morning I thought pancakes would be nice, I hope you don't mind." As she spoke, she turned her attention back to the stove, where she proceeded to flip the still forming patties onto the other side.

Chris grinned. "Please oh please oh _please_ tell me you have syrup," he said eagerly. "It's literally been _years_."

"Well then, just pull up a plate, this first batch is nearly done," Vanilla said cheerfully, and Chris all too gleefully followed her instructions, fetching himself a plate and heading over to her. "And for the record, we do indeed have Syrup," Vanilla said as she stacked his plate with the freshly made breakfast pastry, "It's in the upper left cupboard. If you could be so kind as to fetch it and set it up on the table…?"

"Way ahead of you there, Vanilla," Chris said as he set his plate down on the table, heading over to the cupboard and spotting a large glass bottle with a cork on it, a crudely made label with the word 'syrup' printed over it. Taking the bottle he set it on the center of the table and sat down, waiting patiently for Vanilla to sit down and for Cream to arrive so that he could dig into the meal, salivating from the smell. Vanilla herself soon walked over to the table with her own plate, smiling kindly.

"You don't have to wait for Cream and Cheese if you want to eat, you know," she said softly as she sat down opposite from him.

"Isn't that the polite thing to do though?" Chris asked curiously. "I mean, not that I'm not really, really happy at the thought, but still…"

"Yes, it is," Vanilla said with a nod. "However, we don't know when you'll need to be called in, so I think it's safe to say that it's best you eat as soon as you can," she further explained. "That, and both you AND Cream have told me a good deal about how lacking in proper food you've been. I don't think it'd be fair to deny you food after all that."

"You're a saint, Vanilla," Chris said with a grin as he reached over to snatch up the syrup bottle. "Don't go changing anytime soon."

Vanilla let out a small giggle. "I'm flattered by the compliment, really I am, but I think 'saint' is pushing it a bit," she said with a grin.

"You're giving me a place to stay and you make pancakes free of charge. Sounds pretty saintly to me," Chris quipped as he poured the sweet, sticky substance over his meal. "I haven't had pancakes since I was a little kid… Ella used to make some really good ones," he said, his voice drifting slightly as he let memories of a happier time float into his mind.

"Ella?" Vanilla asked. "Who is Ella?"

"I'm not sure if Cream told you this, but before things went to hell I came from a very wealthy family and Ella was our made," Chris said as he began to slice up a pancake. "She came from one the southern nations of Overland, Cozamalotl, and she was a really good cook," he said with a chuckle as he recalled the old days. Good times, good times…

"Your mother didn't cook?" Vanilla asked, her tone disapproving.

"Mom was always pretty busy with work, it's not like she had a lot of time to do so," Chris said with a shrug, and then smiled sheepishly. "That, and… well… when she DID cook, it tended to be… let me ask you, have you ever seen someone burn orange juice?"

Vanilla's eyes widened. "You… you're not serious? You can't be serious!"

"Oh, I really wish I was making that up," Chris murmured with a shake of his head. "Sufficed to say, for the good of all Ella was primarily left in charge of preparing the food," he said before stuffing a forkful of pancake into his mouth, groaning at how good it tasted. Vanilla watched as he ate, concern on her face before she spoke again.

"And…what became of Ella?" she asked carefully.

Chris swallowed his mouthful and sighed, looking over to Vanilla. "I have no clue. She was visiting family when Robotnik first attacked," he said, then lowering his eyes. "Given everything that's happened, it wouldn't surprise me to know she's also dead…"

Vanilla winced at herself for even asking the foolish question to begin with. "I'm sorry," she said with a heavy sigh. Chris forced a smile onto his face before looking back to her.

"I've…had a while to come to terms with it," he said evenly. "Anyway, that's all in the past, and all I can do now is fight for my future, and for the people who are left in my life," he gave her a meaningful glance as he spoke.

Vanilla smiled softly. "I am flattered to know Cream, Cheese and I have been able to give you such focus in life," she said with a soft chuckle.

"I already lost one family, I'll do everything in my power to not lose another," Chris said before biting into another chunk of pancake. "These are delicious, by the way," he added hurriedly before resuming chewing and swallowing the food. Vanilla beamed happily at the compliment.

"Thank you very much, Chris…I don't suppose there's anything in particular I could make for you?" The rabbit woman asked, causing Chris to pause and look up at her.

"Really?" he asked, causing a small nod from Vanilla.

"Yes, really," she said, still wearing that smile.

"…something with meat, if possible," Chris said, actually looking a bit nervous about the request. "Don't get me wrong, I really, really like what I've had so far, but it's been so long since I had something with a bit of meat in it," he asked, rushing his speaking and hoping that he hadn't broken some kind of Mobian taboo by asking a herbivore to cook meat. Vanilla for her part put a hand to her chin.

"Hmm, that could be a bit difficult as I don't have much experience in cooking meat," Vanilla said, but none the less smiled confidently. "But I've always been up for a challenge. I'll look into it sometime, Chris."

Chris gave a breath of relief. "That's all I ask, and thank you."

"Any time, Chris," Vanilla said.

"Good morning mother, good morning Chris!"

"Chao chao!"

Chris gave a small chuckle as he looked to the side to see Cream trotting up towards the table, Cheese flying beside her as per usual. "And good morning to the two of you as well; sleep well?" he asked pleasantly.

"Oh yes, very much so," Cream nodded politely, Cheese mimicking her actions. "And what is for breakfast today?"

"Pancakes; glorious, glorious pancakes," Chris said with a grin, waving one around with his fork before happily feasting down upon it, prompting a giggle from both Cream AND Vanilla.

"Enthusiasm aside, Chris is quite correct. You and Cheese get some plates, and I'll fix you up a nice fresh batch," Vanilla said as she stood up from the table and headed for the stove. Cream and Cheese obeyed immediately, and in short order both they and Vanilla were now enjoying breakfast while Chris washed down his own meal with a glass of soy milk . _I could definitely get used to this, _the human noted to himself as he took in the scene, looking down to Cream with a smile.

"So Cream, what's on the agenda for you and Cheese today?"

"Amy agreed to show us the rest of the village," Cream said happily as she turned her head to face Chris. "And when we're done with that, Amy's going to show me to the schoolhouse run by Miss Rosie."

"Rosie?" Chris asked.

"Rosie is a woodchuck who looks out for the various orphans in the village," Vanilla said, sighing heavily at the thought. "She also takes care of the basic education of the youngsters, though there's not much in the way of a real school system around here. They make do with what they have."

"I met her when we first got here, she's really nice," Cream said, Cheese plopping down beside her and nodding. "Though so many kids without mommies or daddies… it makes me sad," the girl admitted, her ears lowering down. "It makes me feel so lucky that I was able to get back to my momma," Cream said, smiling happily to Vanilla, who returned the expression gratefully and reached out to hold her daughter's hand. Chris smiled at the scene, taking a swig of milk as Cream continued to speak. "And it makes me feel lucky that you let Chris be like a daddy, mom!"

At that tidbit Chris very nearly snorted milk out of his nose, and sputtered and coughed in shock as the substance went down his windpipe. Vanilla put a hand to her mouth and stared, wide eyed down at her daughter, Chris joining shortly after while the young girl and Chao looked up at them innocently. Chris looked over to Vanilla from the corner of his eye, an uneasy expression on his face as she returned the look before gazing back down at her daughter. "And what makes you think that, sweetly?" she said as evenly as she could, though Chris could tell she was shaken by the comparison.

"Well, a daddy is someone who lives in the house and loves the children and helps take care of things, and is a lot like momma's very best friend," Cream said innocently. "Chris loves me, he's really clever and good at fixing things, and you and he spend time together talking, and laughing, and doing grown up stuff together all the time..."

_Curse those ears. Curse them forever, _Chris thought to himself with a wince as he looked down at Cream. "Cream…I'm really more like your big brother then your daddy," he said shakily. "Just because I can fix things and I talk with your mother doesn't make me a 'daddy' or anything like that. "

"You and momma do nice things for each other though," Cream pointed out.

"I did Chris a favor because he helped us and it's the polite thing to do," Vanilla said firmly to her. "Just because I do something nice for a man doesn't make him your new daddy," she then gave a soft smile. "Besides, he's far too young…" she quipped lightly, hoping to ease the tension. Cream for her part just frowned and stared into her pancakes.

"Why would having Chris as a daddy be a bad thing?" she asked somewhat sullenly.

There was an insane impulse to be flippant and respond with a joke, but he killed the impulse. There was a lot of… bad press… regarding humans and Mobians enjoying each other's company too much. Chris did NOT want to go into details on that front, but still squirmed with discomfort as he tried to rationalize millennia of complicated social taboos into a sentence a small child would understand"Well… it's not quite like that Cream, it's just… well… being a dad is really complicated and saying things like that might be seen as being… er… rude … on my part," he said in an ironically paternal as he looked down at her.

"But _why_?" Cream asked insistently, complete with the pouting expression all kids have when confronting the harsh realities of the world. Cheese, for his part, met Chris with a parroting chorus of 'chao!' as per usual. Chris gave a discomforted glance over to Vanilla. He was hard pressed to think of a more uncomfortable and complicated subject. Overlanders and Mobians generally didn't get along, but some did, and… well… just being friends was hard enough as it was. Trying to be an adoptive father to a seemingly abandoned child had been one thing. He'd have been considered naïve, but being a vaguely paternal figure and trying to bring up an innocent kid was still tolerable among Overlanders.

Being a full-on HUSBAND (and all the… activities… that entailed) to an actual Mobian woman was almost certainly a life-ending proposition between Mobians' animosity for Humans and Overlander scorn for what was considered to be little more than bestiality. Chris realized he'd been staring into Vanilla's eyes again and jerked slightly, breaking eye contact. Vanilla also turned away rather suddenly as if similar embarrassing thoughts had been on her mind. Had they continued observing each other, they would have seen that the other had a slight blush on their face. Chris coughed nervously as Vanilla took over, much more comfortable in the parent role than he was at the moment.

"Well… Being a daddy is a tough job with a lot of responsibility and public attention, Cream, and it means… well it means a lot of things to lots of people. I'm – well, it's… It's just rather complicated and also has a lot to do with Mobian and Overlander history," Vanilla stated in a rather flustered manner. "And Chris is right… one day you'll understand, but for now you just have to take our word for it and not speak of such things again. It could be dangerous for Chris."

That caught Cream's attention, and her eyes widened. "Dangerous?"

"You know how I said things would be a bit difficult for me living here?" Chris said. "Well, if you talk like that it could give people the wrong idea about what I'm like, and if that happened people might get a little, er… upset. With both me AND your mom, I might add," he looked down at her, brow furrowed as he gazed down at her seriously. "So please, Cream. Don't talk about such things, especially right in front of others. Promise me?"

Cream looked up at him, her eyes still wide as she considered his words before sighing and nodding her head. "Okay Chris, I promise," she said softly.

Chris smiled. "Good girl," he said with a chuckle, reaching down to pat her head affectionately. Cheese gave an indignant look Chris' way, and Chris sighed as he reached over to pet the Chao as well. "Yes Cheese, you're a good boy too," he said with a smile. Cheese beamed and chirped appreciatively, while Vanilla gave an appraising look to the two.

"Hmm… you haven't cleaned yourselves yet, have you?" she said knowingly. Cream and Cheese both looked away, twiddling their thumbs (or rough equivalents in the case of Cheese).

"No mama…"

"Chao…"

"Off to the bathroom with the both of you then," Vanilla said, standing up from the table and starting to gather plates. "Chris and I will clean things up until you're done."

Cream hopped off her chair and nodded her head slightly to her mother. "Yes mama," she said obediently before taking Cheese by his little nub of a hand and leading him away. With Cream and Cheese gone, Chris stood up from the table, shaking his head as he did his part in gathering dishes.

"No offense, but… I don't think I'm quite that ready to be a dad," Chris murmured as he took his collected dishes towards the sink.

"I do apologize for that, Chris," Vanilla said with a sigh as she drew water. "She's young, and has yet to understand certain things in the world."

"She's a smart kid. Hopefully we won't have any more, er… problematic questions," Chris said, shaking his head slightly. "I'm pushing my luck trying to live in peace as it is! As some kind of… I don't know, interspecies lecher…" he rolled his eyes in an attempt at light-heartedness but it made him look more like he was nervously expecting the heavens to strike him down just for mentioning the unmentionable. Humans and Mobians disagreed on everything, except of course, that one thing that both species agreed was disgustingly repulsive to all but a select few who kept things VERY firmly under their hat at the risk of certain death… from either side.

"None taken," Vanilla said with a smile as she got to scrubbing the dirtied plates and pan, though pausing to look towards Chris. "Could you even imagine such a rumor going around?" She tried to laugh it off as a joke, but it didn't quite work.

"Yeah," Chris murmured, rubbing at his arm awkwardly. "I mean, it's not like I would ever – well I mean, not without – Not that you're – I mean, you are a rather, er… um… well -" he realized he was stammering and gesturing like a vaudeville actor and tried to take a few deep breaths and get a hold of himself. When he dared to open his eyes, he saw an amused though embarrassed Vanilla looking over his way, ears and face blushing with the subject they were both aware they were covering. For a second, Chris was painfully aware of how he was charging into every forbidden subject there was, and worried that she would take offense, but she simply shook her head amusedly and scrubbed absently at the dishes as Chris felt the awkwardness just wash over him like a wave. _Well, Casanova, with those kinds of smooth moves, you won't have to worry about any funny business taking place any time soon…_. Chris let out a nervous chuckle. "Maybe all this goes better without saying," he said jokingly.

"Oh, yes, indeed," Vanilla said hurriedly as she worked.

That insidious little voice cackled in his head. _Solitude and celibacy for the rest of your life, or living as a horrible pervert that disgusts all who know of you? Decisions, decisions…_ . Chris froze for a moment as if the voice came from some onlooker he hadn't seen, and then shook his head rapidly as if trying to dislodge the physical essence of the thought out of his head, desperate to dwell on anything, anything at all other than the disturbing theory that had come up.

"Though, if how you are with Cream is any indication, I do think you'd make a good father," Vanilla continued with a small smile as she set the finished dishes aside. Chris felt humbled and incredibly gratified for a moment, forgetting his turmoil and discomfort. He struggled to come up with words of thanks, but remained silent as Vanilla continued, a distant look in her eye. "She would have been lucky to have a father more like you," she sighed heavily at these words. Chris glanced sidelong at her at this statement… what had Cream's father been like then? Despite the desire to know he wisely kept his mouth shut on the matter, instead smiling at the compliment.

"Well, uh, thank you. It means a lot to me to hear that. I just hope to be a good example is all," he said, musing on the prospect slightly. Him? Paternal? What a strange and bizarre thought! He might have been forced to grow up quickly, but that didn't mean he knew how to handle kids. Then again, he did a pretty good job with Cream and Cheese, though on the other hand Cream was pretty mature for her age. At the very least, he could safely say that he wouldn't name his kids after food products.

He was disturbed from his introspection by the sound of a rapid knocking on the door, and he couldn't help but smirk. "I wonder who that could be?" he drawled out before heading to the door, opening it up to reveal Antoine, standing prim and proper as usual as he gazed up at the human.

"Good morning to you Chris, Miss Rabbeau," Antoine said, nodding politely to Vanilla before turning his gaze back to Chris. "I am being terribly sorry to be interrupting your morning, but Rotor is having ze use for you zis fine day," the canine stated, glancing up apologetically at Chris.

"You're not interrupting anything, Antoine, we just got done with breakfast as it is," Chris said with a chuckle. Just as he spoke Cream and Cheese would walk into the main living area, cleaned and refreshed. Cream smiled and waved to Antoine as she walked up to Chris' side.

"Hello mister D'coolette!" she called out happily. "Have you come to take Chris to work?"

Antoine smiled down at the young rabbit girl. "Bonjour to you too Cream," the coyote replied formally, starting slightly when Cheese glared up at him and barked out an indignant 'Chao!' towards him. Antoine stared down at the chao for a moment before realizing his faux-pas, smiling now at the indignant little chao. "And bonjour to you too, er…?" Antoine looked up at Chris from the corner of his eye, silently pleading for a bit of help.

"Cheese, his name is Cheese," Chris whispered to Antoine.

"Ah yes, Cheese!" Antoine said hurriedly, sighing in relief. "And bonjour to you too, _Cheese_," he said, trying to salvage what he could from the situation. Cheese for his part seemed placated, giving a wide grin to the coyote… a wide, vaguely menacing grin that did much to show off his rather impressive, dagger-like teeth. Antoine paled slightly and gulped, looking up to Chris quickly.

"Erm, perhaps we are best being gone now, oui?" he asked urgently.

"In a moment, Antoine," Chris said, kneeling down to Cream and Cheese. "Okay then, I'm gonna be heading out now; while I'm gone you two take care of yourselves and be good for Miss Rosie, alright?"

"We will Chris!" Cream said, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug, Cheese following suit with his arm.

"Atta girl," Chris said as he returned the hug, stepping back once he was done. "Good bye, and see you in the evening."

"Goodbye Chris, Mister D'coolette," Cream said, giving a small curtsy while Cheese waved at them.

"Chao chao!"

"Alright then," Chris turned to face Antoine. "Lead the way."

"Gladly," Antoine murmured, turning around and heading out of the house, Chris following after, carefully ducking under the doorway to avoid hitting his head. Once they were far enough away, Antoine let out an exasperated sigh. "Iz zhat little Cheese fellow always being like zat?" he asked Chris. "What iz he even being?"

"Oh, he's only like that if he thinks you're ignoring him," Chris said with a bemused smile. "As for what he is, all I know is that he's called a Chao and comes from the jungles down south. Other than that, your guess is as good as mine about him," the human said with a shrug.

"Oui, well, I am not liking ze look of zose teeth," Antoine murmured as he lead Chris towards Rotor's hut. "Suppozed he tries to put zhem to use? I am not knowing if he iz having all of his shots!"

"Pretty certain he doesn't have rabies, Antoine" Chris drawled.

"You cannot be knowing that!"

"Call it an educated guess then," Chris chuckled. "Besides, he only bites people if they deserve it," he said, his face darkening into a frown. "Like that jackass from the Wolf Pack, Drago."

Antoine's ears perked at the name and he glanced back Chris questioningly. "You are having met Drago?"

"Yeah…you mean you've met him too?" Chris asked, mildly surprised by the revelation.

Antoine turned his head back to the path and shrugged. "We have worked together from time to time, when ze Knothole Freedom Fighters and ze Wolf Pack collaborated. Personally, I am not caring much for him… he has a bad air around him, if you know what I mean."

"I do," Chris said, maintaining his frown as his thoughts lingered on the bullying wolf. "You're not the first person to say that about him either."

"He eez doing his part against Robotnik, so zhere is zhat I suppose," Antoine said neutrally.

"I guess," Chris relented. "He's still a jerk though."

"Oui, zis is being true."

Reaching Rotor's hut, Chris took note that the door was open this time around. Antoine turned to face Chris, spinning on his heel before speaking. "And zis iz where I am taking my leave. Good bye, and good luck," Antoine then turned and walked away, leaving Chris to once more make his way into the heavily altered hut. He knocked on the door as he stuck his head in, looking around for signs of the walrus.

"Heya Rotor, Antoine said you needed me for something?"

He spotted Rotor sitting at his bench, with what appeared to be a bunch of household appliances strewn about the various desks. Rotor turned in his swivel-chair with a smile as he faced the human. "Yep; a stool and some tools and find yourself something to fix," he said before pointing towards a stool that appeared to be welded together from various metal bits. "I made you a special seat… might not be entirely to your size, but it's a lot sturdier than what I use."

"Heh, I appreciate that," Chris said as he gathered up a few of the aforementioned tools and dragged the makeshift stool to a spot next to Rotor. "I still can't get over how… tiny everything is here. It's like living in a kid's playhouse."

"Is it my fault you're gigantic?" Rotor quipped with a smirk before resuming work on a toaster.

"No more than it's your fault you're tiny," Chris shot back playfully before taking an electric fan in hand; it was old, and had clearly been modified many times over. "Where do you guys get all these appliances?"

"Some of it was already here when Knothole was set up, some of its stuff that was brought in with refugees, and some of it is stuff we were able to grab before Robotnik could find where they were made and convert them into Swatbot parts," Rotor explained as twiddled with some wires in the toaster.

"Definitely a far cry from the base my resistance cell lived in," Chris said thoughtfully as he continued his work. "We lived a pretty utilitarian life back at the base," he further elaborated even as he focused on the machine before him. "Things like this were discarded in favor of less personalized, more group efficient devices."

"Sounds like it was a pretty rough life," Rotor noted from his own bench, though he didn't turn to face Chris.

"It was," Chris said with a sigh. "But like I said, things had to be done efficiently. You don't even WANT to know what we had to use for food."

"Was it really that bad?"

"Picture eating wet cardboard for the rest of your life and you'll get a good idea of what we had to go through."

Rotor visibly shuddered at the thought. "Point taken…"

Eventually they managed to finish their minor repair work with the appliances, and Rotor waved Chris over as he headed for the door. "Now we need to check on one of the storage area's refrigeration generators," he explained as Chris walked up beside him. "It's been pretty sensitive these past few weeks, but hopefully it'll hold out for today," the walrus said as he grabbed a toolbox and led Chris out. Chris kept a brisk pace beside the Walrus as he was led to an area that contained several squat looking buildings, listening intently as Rotor explained them to him. "These storage areas are where we keep anything that needs to be cold; foods, certain kinds of medicines, that sort of thing," the walrus said as he lead him to one of the units. "This one in particular though… it's been giving me a lot of grief," he said with a frown.

"What's wrong with it?" Chris asked even as Rotor started to inspect the bulky refrigeration unit sticking out of the building's side.

"It's old and its cranky is what its problem is," Rotor groused as he looked over the device, even leaning in to listen to it. "Like right now, you hear that?"

"Well… no, to be honest," Chris confessed, and Rotor nodded.

"Exactly; this thing's motor fan isn't running right," he said with a sigh as he plopped down his toolbox and opened it up. "If we're lucky this should be a fortunate fix."

"There's an old saying among Overlanders about luck," Chris remarked wryly. "Namely that if you mention her by name, she gets testy."

"Heh, let's hope she wasn't listening then," Rotor said with a chuckle before shooting Chris a glance. "So luck is a lady to humans too?"

"Well…yeah," Chris said with a shrug. "You're telling me that Mobians regard luck as lady as well? That… that is spooky, actually," he murmured, somewhat unnerved by the coincidence.

"I know, right?" Rotor said as he shut the refrigeration unit off, opened a panel and peaked in, pulling out a screwdriver and tiny oil can. "Alright then, this should be fairly simple…" he murmured to himself, and Chris silently watched as Rotor got to work tightening the fan's bolts and oiling up the gears inside. "Alright then, that oughta do it," Rotor said with a smile, shutting the panel and turning the unit back on. At first it ran smoothly, and Chris could hear the motor fan run as intended… then came the sputtering noise, and suddenly small whisps of steam began to rise from the device. Rotor groaned and waved the steam away, frowning darkly at the malfunctioning device.

"Oh, darn it!" Rotor said, frowning angrily at the machine as steam continued to rise from it and hastily turned it off. "Well that's just perfect," he the walrus grumbled before looking over to Chris. "Chris, this is gonna take a bit more than what we got on hand. Mind doing some damage control while I get some equipment?" he asked with a raised brow.

Chris started to say something and faltered, feeling a specter of apprehension clench at his gut. The prospect of being left unsupervised was strange to him. Some bizarre, almost masochistic part of him expected, even demanded suspicion. This rapid change of pace was all a bit much for him. He gave a weak smile as he finally found his words. "Sure thing Rotor," he said, though a last minute bout of wariness prompted him to frown and look to Rotor warily. "But won't you get in trouble for leaving me alone? Won't _I _get in trouble for being left alone?"

"Part of this entire exercise is trust," Rotor said with a shrug. "You're clearly not a madman," he said with a smile, "And besides, what are you going to do? It's not like there's anything you can really do." Rotor jerked his thumb towards the storage facilities. "I won't be too long over there. All I need is for you to just keep a watch over things and make sure they don't get worse. Think you can manage that?"

"Well…" The machine sputtered angrily as if challenging him. "Personally, I think it needs a priest, not a mechanic," Chris managed dryly before nodding his head. "Just don't leave here too long."

"I won't," Rotor said with a smile. "Just a few spare parts and the right tools to put them in is what I need. Won't take me more than a moment; I'll be right back." And with that, the Walrus sped off for his hut, leaving Chris alone. Given the disorganized state of his hut, Chris wasn't entirely convinced that Rotor would be back quite as soon as he'd like, but the matter was out of his hands. Chris soon found that he was bored, and found his thoughts wandering. The isolation of the area was a blessing and a curse. On the one hand he didn't have the dreadful sensation of being stared at by the various Mobians of the village, so that was a plus. On the other hand, there were no witnesses and there were a LOT of unhappy looking Mobians in the village… He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He was being paranoid,

A sudden cough shook him out of his reverie, and he realized the unit was smoking again. Frantically waving his hand to clear the smoke coming out of it, he decided it was worth another look to see if he couldn't fix it after all. Chris was used to old, out of shape equipment and boy did the unit fit the bill. The fact that Rotor had been able to keep it running without a readily available source of replacement parts for it spoke much of his skill with machinery! Welding marks and off-colored mechanical bits showed signs of repeated repair and modification. He was amazed that this place wasn't in even worse condition then it could have been, given some of the worn looking components in the unit and the water-wheel. After some more frantic waving, enough smoke had cleared for him to actually open the unit up and observe some of the circuitry. This was tricky – he had to be sure that the metal inside hadn't corroded too badly...

He was so completely focused on observing the unit that the voice behind him nearly gave him a heart attack despite its familiarity.

"Hello Chris!"

Chris felt his heart lurch in surprise and barely avoided smashing a hole in the roof out of shock and started before turning to see his familiar sounding visitor. Seeing Cream standing before him with Cheese by her side, Chris immediately calmed down and gave her a pleasant smile. "Oh, Cream, Cheese… didn't expect to see you two here," he said softly, and nearly did a double take when he realized they weren't alone. "… and you brought new friends?" he asked with some surprise. He felt astounded that he had missed them to begin with and felt a flush of embarrassment. All that paranoia over being attacked by an adult and he literally missed a conspicuous pack of children behind him!

To her left was a pink furred hedgehog girl, probably an adolescent judging by her size, in a red dress and headband carrying a bow in a non-threatening fashion with a quiver slung over his shoulder. Recalling Cream's words yesterday about making a friend who was a hedgehog, this could only be Amy rose. Her friend, a fox boy looking to be the same age as Amy, with bright orange fur and a set of twin tails was far more interesting looking! Recognition dawned upon Chris immediately, and his eyes widened slightly; this could only be the 'Tails' mentioned frequently by the other freedom fighters. Once more it would seem the sadistic naming tendencies of Mobians was rearing its ugly head, and it was all he could do to not let his jaw drop at the seeming insensitivity of his name. Smiling curiously, Chris looked down to Cream. "But I thought you were going to spend the day at Rosie's?"

"Class was ended early today," Cream said, her smile matching Chris' own. "So I thought I would introduce you to my new friends."

"How thoughtful of you," Chris said with a nod, looking to the gaggle of Mobian children. "Well go on then, I'm listening."

Cream gave a wide smile. "This is Amy. She's the one I told you about yesterday," she said with a wave to a politely smiling Amy, who took a polite yet wordless little curtsy towards Chris. Cream then turned her attention to the fox. "And this is Tails," she said in turn, prompting a nervous, somewhat shy smile from the other Mobian child. Chris smiled as disarmingly as he could and nodded lightly.

"A pleasure to meet you," Chris said in a genial tone. "Cream told me about you, Amy," he looked over to the hedgehog girl before looking over to the fox. "And the Freedom Fighters have mentioned you often as well, Tails."

"Pleased to meet you too, Chris," Amy spoke up with a chipper tone, taking a step forward to the human. "Cream told us a lot about you too; that you did a lot of brave things to help her find her mom," the hedgehog girl beamed up, apparently quite un-phased by the fact she was speaking with a human. Chris marveled again at how Mobian children, or perhaps children in general, were fearless when dealing with the unknown.

"Uh… well, I hope I live up to the hype," Chris said with a smile, giving a knowing smirk to Cream and causing her to blush and smile sheepishly. "I don't know quite what she told you, but the Wolf Pack did most of the heavy lifting to get us here."

"Still, that was a really nice thing you did," Amy said in an insistent tone. "But how did you get here all the way from Overland?"

"Dumb luck mostly; I'd built a hovership to get in through the Forbidden Zone, and it was just barely enough to survive the lightning strikes," Chris said with a chuckle. Tails' eyes widened at the mention of the hovercraft.

"Hey yeah! Cream said something about it; what did you make it from?" The fox kit asked eagerly, wanting to hear about the now long gone craft. Apparently Tails lived up to his reputation as a mechanic despite his age!

"Overlander military salvaged for the weapons, engines, shields and frame. I had to make do with some civilian hovercraft and speeder parts to help it get fast enough to survive," he explained with a slight chuckle, deliberately suppressing memories of the dead city where he had hunted for parts he could not find back at the base. Instead he chose to focus on the long lost hovership, now in pieces somewhere across the Great Plains of Mobos. He let out a wistful sigh. "I spent over a year constructing her, she really was a great ship," His smiling face soon turned to a flat glare. "And then some Stealth Bot had to go and blow it up… it was such a sweet ride too," He felt his wistful smile die horribly as he remembered the last battle of the Deliverance. "Da-" He barely caught himself and tried again. "Darn robots."

"Tell me about it," Amy murmured with a slightly haunted expression, rubbing her arm awkwardly. Chris took note and filed it away for later, offering her a sympathetic smile.

"Don't worry about it. Not your fault," he said with a nod before looking to Tails with a raised brow. "I really hate to ask this, but… is your name REALLY Tails?" He hated to put the kid on the spot, but this was just killing him. There was no way any parent on the face of Mobius could be so cruel as to give their child a name like that, even if Mobians seemed to have sadistic naming practices anyhow. Tails blushed slightly and twiddled his thumbs in response.

"Uh…not exactly…" he murmured sheepishly.

"His real name is Miles," Amy said flatly. "Miles Prower."

"Amy!" Tails yelped, his namesake frizzing out while Cream suppressed a giggle at the fox kit's blushing. Chris's shook his head, his expression pitying as he looked to the heavens as if to ask why parents could be so cruel.

"Well it is!" Amy shot back, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes. "I honestly don't get why you're so embarrassed by it; it's a perfectly nice name."

Tails just winced as he turned to face a by now bemused Chris. "Okay… my real name is Miles, but please… just call me Tails."

"Can do," Chris said with a smile. _Miles Prower… cripes, even when they aren't animal puns they're just plain BAD puns, _the human thought to himself, suddenly very, very thankful to have been born human and not to a pair of parents who might see nothing wrong with saddling him with such a name. Not that 'Tails' was much better of an alternative, but still…

"Oh!" Cream piped up, grabbing hold of Tails' arm and giving a tug. "Show Chris what you can do!" she insisted with a grin, looking over to Chris shortly after. "It's really neat," she clarified as she saw her friend and surrogate sibling raise a brow, Cheese chirping along in confirmation of her words.

Recalling Rotor's words from yesterday, Chris diverted his attention to Tails, remaining silent but not losing his curious expression. Tails' broke out into a wide, eager grin and stepped forward, waving his hands about. "Alright then, but you might wanna stand back," he proclaimed boastfully, earning a sardonic roll of the eyes from Amy even as she and Cream took a step back, Cheese hovering a way. Now even more curious than before, Chris watched the fox kit intently… just what was he up to? What happened next he could not have expected if he had had even a thousand years to live; Tails' twin tails began to rotate behind him with a speed that resembled a helicopter's blades, the limbs blurring behind him as dust and leaves were kicked up and he took to the air. Chris could only stare, slackjawed and transfixed at the impossible sight that was occurring before him while Tails cheerfully soared around above, even doing little twirls and flips up in the before at last landing before Chris, doing a dramatic little bow even as Cream, Cheese and Amy politely clapped at his performance. The boy looked up to Chris with a grin, while Chris at last managed to gain enough of himself to form words.

"That's amazing… how do you even DO that?" Chris asked, his brain wracking itself trying to figure out just how what the fox kit had accomplished was even physically possible.

"It has to do with Chaos Energy actually," Tails said, his tone taking a surprisingly mature and academic quality to it. "I don't really understand it entirely, but I while I COULD fly all on my own, my chaos energy allows me to fly around faster and longer than I might be able to if I didn't have it… something about the way it affects my tails," Tails explained with a smile and a shrug, almost looking apologetic. "I don't really understand all of it, but I'm figuring it out as I go along."

Chaos energy… Chris' mind went back to Overland, to long nights spent reading about the mysterious energy force that his kind were apparently blind to, the very same energy force that had given Sonic his powers. So they had another like him, one with powers beyond the norms of man or Mobian? Chris felt envy bubble up, but it faded quickly in a flash of embarrassment. He did wish he could have saved his friends, but he had his limits as to who he was going to loathe, particularly a child who had gone out of his way to meet him in friendship rather than the fear that so many of the other villagers felt towards him. He instead let out a soft chuckle. "… Pretty amazing."

He turned his attention back to the coolant unit, giving it a swift look about to see if anything had gone wrong or was in the process thereof since his company arrived. "Any others like you that I should know about?" he asked idly as he continued his inspection.

"Amy does!" Cream shot out once more. "Well… kind of," she said a moment after, a thoughtful expression on her face as she looked over to Amy. Chris did similar, turning his head to face the quartet once more with a dumbfounded look upon his face.

"No fooling?" he asked with a bemused smile. "Man, I was half joking when I said that..."

"Well then, it's kinda appropriate," Amy said with a sheepish smile, blushing slightly. "I don't really do anything like flying or running superfast… Have you ever heard of the Little Planet?"

"Even Overlanders have heard the stories. Sort of like the Floating Island, right?"

Amy rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. "Well… My family has the power to know when and where the Little Planet is going to show up, though it skips a generation." She looked up at Chris. "I know how it sounds crazy, but it's true; Robotnik actually kidnapped me because of it."

Chris felt his blood go cold. "What?"

Amy nodded. "It's true! I was from Mercia originally, but Robotnik learnt about my family's gift… I was playing out in the woods one day, and I wandered too far from my cousin's home. Robotnik kidnapped me so that he could find out where the Little Planet would show up next. I was so scared… Well, that I told him," she said with a sigh, lowering her head slightly as if ashamed. Cream, Tails and Cheese all reached for her shoulders in support, though Cheese deigned to reach for her hand instead. She perked up immediately, nodding in thanks before turning her attention back to Chris. "It's a really crazy story, but all true! I even wound up on Little Planet for a while before Sonic saved me from Robotnik," Amy gave a dreamy sigh as she described Sonic; an all too familiar tone of infatuation coating her words.

Chris' rage at Sonic was easily transferred onto Robotnik instead. "Hrmf… I really shouldn't be surprised he'd actually stoop so low as to kidnap children," he shook his head in disgust as he spoke. What a petty and stupid thing to be doing, for any reason! What next, stealing candy from babies? "How long ago did this happen?" he asked, his expression softening into concern for the young girl.

"Two years ago," Amy said as her friends backed away. "Since then I've been training as a Freedom Fighter!" The excitement practically burst out from her like light from a flood lamp, making Chris feel very old for a moment, remembering training of his own. Amy continued, oblivious to his feelings. "Living in Mercia already gave me a background in Archery with my cousin," she smiled, patting the quiver on her back. "I've just been getting better at it."

"Archery…? Really?" Chris asked, eying the bow and quiver dubiously.

"Yep!" Amy beamed, not at all put off by his apparent doubt. "Rotor makes my arrows out of special materials that can pierce robot armor, and some of them even explode," she explained with a proud smile. "Because my arrows don't make noise they're really good for stealth missions."

"That makes a surprising amount of sense," Chris conceded with a smile. "Messing with you is the worst mistake Robotnik ever made, eh?"

"You better believe it," Amy said with a proud smirk.

"You really should," Tails said with a grin. "She once managed to shoot an explosive arrow at Robotnik's personal hovership!"

That bit of information caused Chris himself to break out into a wide grin. "You're starting to make me jealous," he said, chuckling at the idea of a terrifying tyrant being threatened by an adorable pink little girl. "If only I could do the same…"

"You'll have to settle for dreaming it until you pass muster," Rotor's voice cut in, causing all present to look his way as he lumbered on in, holding a small metal toolbox in hand. He smiled apologetically to Chris. "Sorry to take so long… kinda had to go dumpster diving to find the tools. I really need to clean up one of these days… anything change since I was gone?"

"Nope," Chris said, looking back into the open panel. "It's still jun-" he corrected himself, not wanting to offend, "Er, an awful mess, but not more of one since you left."

"Good, makes life easier for the both of us," Rotor muttered to himself as he set himself before the panel and opened his toolbox, taking a moment to look back at the younger mobians. "And how are you three doing?" he asked politely, smiling down at the youngsters.

"Oh, we're doing just fine," Cream said, smiling up at the walrus. "I just wanted to introduce Chris to my new friends."

"And I'm glad that she did," Chris piped up, Cream and Cheese both smiling happily at the admission.

"Neat! Hope you're enjoying your stay in Knothole then, Cream," Rotor said with a smile, prompting an affirming nod from both Cream and Cheese.

"Oh yes, most definitely Mr. Rotor."

"Chao Chao!"

"Heh, excellent," Rotor chuckled before turning back to the coolant unit. "Alright then kids, Chris and I got a lot of work to do here. You can stay if you want, but this won't be fun… The food stores need this up in a hurry."

"That's okay, Mr. Rotor; we were going to go see Amy practice her archery anyway," Cream started to turn away, but hesitated. "Um… Chris, would you like to meet Dulcy later, when you're done helping Mr. Rotor?"

Chris raised an eyebrow. "Dulcy…? Oh! Right… the dragon! Of course," There was only one firebreathing dragon in town and he'd already managed to forget who she was. "Sure, if possible, I'll let you introduce me to Dulcy… I've never seen a dragon before," he said as he marveled at the idea of meeting a fantasy creature for real. Fantastic images of the fairy tale dragons from his mother's bed time stories filled his head… along with decidedly less fantastic images of enormous fire breathing monsters descending from the sky to eat humans and take their gold. Chris was sure that wouldn't be the case here… he hoped. At the very least, Cream would have mentioned Dulcy being _scary._ "Sure, once I'm done helping Rotor."

"No need for that," Rotor spoke up without taking his eyes off his work. "How about you and the kids go see Dulcy now?"

Chris very nearly did a double take, instead staring at Rotor in shock at his suggestion. "Sure you don't need my help in there?"

"I can handle it. I've handled it for years. Besides remember what I said about trust? Well, consider this an extension of that," Rotor said with a chuckle. "You need to meet all the people you'll be working with sooner or later. Better now than in a crisis."

"Heh… if you say so, Rotor," Chris then looked to the happy Mobian youngsters before him. "Well, you heard him; lead the way," he said, moving forward from his spot. Cheese flew behind him to try and push him along, while Cream reached up to take his hand in her own.

"Come on!"

"Chao!"

With that the small group headed out. Chris noticed immediately they were sticking to the outskirts, away from population centers. It could have been that they were taking the right road to Dulcy, a part of him felt that the kids were trying to protect him. Either way, he appreciated the fact immensely, even as he suppressed the urge to look over his shoulder.

"Have you ever seen a dragon before?" Tails asked suddenly, looking back to Chris as he led the motely crew through the village outskirts.

"Uh, no. Not outside of story books," Chris said, shaking his head.

"What do human storybooks say about dragons?" Amy asked, cocking her head quizzically as she looked up at Chris. Chris gave a small, nervous chuckle.

"Um…" Chris felt extremely awkward. "Some good and a lot of bad… Make that mostly bad where I'm from." He shrugged helplessly trying to play it off as a silly superstition he didn't believe, which was true. Well, mostly.

"Oh," Amy looked sad for a minute, but recovered quickly and flashed a reassuring smile. "Well, I'm sure whatever you heard about dragons isn't true when it comes to Dulcy."

Tails nodded. "Yeah, Dulcy's real nice."

"How did you guys even end up with a dragon anyhow?" Chris asked, face alight with curiosity.

"You can ask Dulcy when you meet her," Tails replied cheerfully, squinting and looking ahead to a thick patch of bushes. "In fact, I see her now! Hey, Dulcy!" he called out, waving his hand.

"We'd like you to meet someone!" Amy joined in, while Chris flinched as the bushes began to rustle, and he braced himself, suddenly realizing his muscles were tense and his hands were where his knife and gun used to be. The ground seemed to shake slightly as heavy footsteps were heard, and Chris very nearly broke out into a cold sweat. _Bad idea, bad idea, bad idea, _went the refrain in his head as he braced himself as best he could_._

"Hi there!" a young voice called out, an aqua-marine and pink reptilian head popping out from the bushes, followed by the rest of her. She was big; she had to have at least a foot over himself in height, with thin arms and powerful legs and great, bat-like wings on her back, a golden ring pierced through her nose. However, she was as far removed from what Chris had been picturing that he was almost taken aback by the contrast between what he had imagined compared to what he beheld before him; despite her size, Dulcy's entire demeanor was rather childlike; she had a handful of blueberries, and her lips were stained from eating them… perhaps she was a child for her kind? Chris felt himself relax, while Dulcy proceeded to chomp on a few more berries that she had taken with her out of the bush. Normally, a dragon devouring things sounded terrifying, but between Dulcy's lack of terrifying fangs and her clear enjoyment of fruit as opposed to people, there was clearly not much to fear.

"Man, you guys should really give these a try, they're delicious!" She made an encouraging movement as she extended a hand, offering some of the treats to the group before her. She held her berry filled hand out to them, starting with Cream, only realizing Chris was there once he was offered some. "Hey, I've heard about you! You're that human Cream told me about, aren't you?"

"Can't say I know about any others, but I'd sure like to meet them," Chris attempted to smile with the joke, but the feeling of being literally the last man alive suddenly caught up to him in a rush and his expression flashed from good humor to deep pain for a moment. He recovered quickly, but Cream and Cheese noticed it, adding it to their mental backlog of something being wrong with Chris's people. Damn, damn, damn, that had been a bad idea. Humor was clearly not a good way to deal with his… problems. Dulcy, oblivious to this development, smiled sheepishly at Chris' words, rubbing the back of her head around the crest area.

"Heh, right, sorry," Dulcy said before cocking her head slightly down as she observed Chris. "You know, you're the first human I ever saw that wasn't Robotnik or Snively. It's weird to see one of you with a full head of hair." Chris had a feeling he was going to get a lot of that. Best get used to it now, he figured…

Chris kept up a brave, jovial front even though stress made him more terse than usual. "Never saw a dragon before. I think that makes us even."

"Works for me!" Dulcy beamed, and extended her hand again, the one currently holding the berries. "Blueberry?" she offered up kindly.

"Thank you," Chris nodded as he took the offered fruit and gave them a try, taking time to savor their flavor while the others followed suit and helped themselves to the delectable berries, feeling his nervousness slowly ease away. "Two chaos users, a Little Planet oracle, and a dragon… Not quite what I expected from this place for you, Cream," he said, looking down at Cream fondly. "I am glad, though… I doubt there's anywhere else on Mobius that could be safer for her," he continued, giving her an affectionate rub on the head and swiftly doing similar to Cheese before he could incur the Chao's wrath at being ignored. "Yes, you too," he added quickly, Cheese smirking and Cream stifling a giggle.

"Did you really manage to fly through the Forbidden Zone?" Dulcy asked with wide and enquiring eyes. "When I was little we were always told to avoid that place at all costs."

"Good advice! It dam- darn near killed me," Chris shuddered slightly at the memory of endless streams of lightning falling down toward him, each and every one of them spelling certain death if they so much as brushed by his sight. "Still, it was either that or risk air defenses. I think I'd take the lightning strikes any time. I'm just glad I got out of Overland at all."

"So are we," Cream piped up, Cheese nodding in agreement.

"Wow," Dulcy murmured, looking impressed. "And here I thought Tails was the only one who could pull something like that. He's a great pilot you know," she said with a grin, looking down at Tails. For the second time that day the Fox kit looked away bashfully, his hands between his back and his foot absently kicking at some dirt. Chris looked down at him, surprised.

"Really? You're a pilot too?" he asked, astonished at how much the kit had done in his short lifetime. It was enough to cause inadequacy issues in a man. "Anything you CAN'T do?"

"Oh, well, there's a lot-"

"Oh he can do pretty much anything, really," Amy spoke up, smirking at Tails even as he waved his hands in a vain attempt to shush her. "Wait 'til he tells you about the Death Egg!"

"Death…Egg…?" Chris asked slowly. What on Mobius was a 'Death Egg'? He looked down at the near-cringing fox quizzically. Tails smiled nervously up at Chris.

"It's a really, really, really long story and Sonic tells it better anyway…"

Chris felt his jaw clench at the mention of the hedgehog. "Well, if you so insist," Chris said tersely before turning to Dulcy again, trying to keep his mind on the topic at hand. "If you don't mind my asking… how did you end up here in Knothole? I don't know a lot about dragons, but I thought you guys kept to yourself," he suddenly let out a chuckle and rubbed the back of his head, now wearing a sheepish smile of his own. "Granted, I don't know a lot, and humans don't really know that much about dragons to begin with so…"

To his relief, Dulcy smiled. "I don't mind at all; that part happens to be true," Dulcy said. "Dragons don't tend to mingle with other species. It's just how we are… as a society, at least," she gave a small shrug before continuing. "Anyway, the reason I'm here is because of my mom really."

Chris felt his curiosity increase at the mention of societies and her mother. "Really?"

Dulcy nodded. "Yep; it all happened back when Robotnik was first started to take things over. I was still a pouchling back then, not even ready to fly, and he was doing everything he could to hunt dragons down," she frowned at the memory, clenching her (thankfully berry free) hands into fists. "His Swatbots and badniks scoured the land for any dragons they could find, and a lot of dragons were starting to retreat back into the Dragon homelands, places that had been hidden from outside view for thousands of years. My mom hoped to do similar to keep us safe… only she ended up running right into a hoverbot patrol," Dulcy gave a small shudder. "They chased us down and hurt my ma, and it seemed like the end of the road… and then the Freedom Fighters found us," she said with a smile.

"Freedom Fighters?" Chris repeated, a confused look on his face. "But I thought -?"

"The _first_ Freedom Fighters, silly," Dulcy giggled. "Before Sonic, Sal and the rest took up the fight, there was another group led by Colonel Tig Stripe who were fighting against Robotnik. "

Chris felt like an idiot- of course someone had to be doing the job before the current generation. He would have to look up on 'Tig Stripe' and the rest of this first group later on. Giving a weak chuckle, Chris nodded. "Right, of course. Go on."

"Well, anyway… the colonel and his Freedom Fighters saved my ma and me, and even offered us shelter here in Knothole. Ma realized just how safe this place was and made a deal with Tig; she'd help him fight against Robotnik so long as I could stay here," Dulcy said with a fond smile. "They agreed, and the rest is history pretty much… well, mom had to leave due to secret dragon things I'm not meant to talk about in front of non-dragons even if they're my friends," she lowered her head, gazing at the group apologetically while twiddling her thumbs. "It… really isn't anything personal, but I'm not supposed to go any further than that."

"That's okay. I'm still getting over meeting a real life dragon as it is," Chris said jokingly, lying through his teeth even as the questions generated nonstop in his head. What was it that Dulcy's mother had left for, that she could not explain it to non-dragons? Well, that question could wait… he had plenty of time to learn more after all, barring a possible lynching or death by Robotropolis.

Dulcy chuckled, smiling playfully. "Oh don't make it sound like it's something so special, meeting a dragon. I'm just Dulcy." She glanced at Chris with a curious expression on her face. Chris desperately hoped she wouldn't ask about- "What are Overland dragons like?"

_So much for that idea, _Chris thought to himself as he cringed. The stories he had been told about dragons growing up were usually softened nightmares of fire breathing scaled horrors swooping from the skies to burn villages and steal gold… only Tanaka ever offered him alternative views of the mysterious creatures. He steeled himself, ignoring that now Cream, Tails, Amy and Cheese were watching him with a similar curiosity as Dulcy. He tried to laugh to break up the tension. It didn't work. "Well… it's been a really long time since dragons lived in Overland, so all I really had to go on are stories…" he began, feeling his anxiety go up. "If ah… well, if those stories are true they weren't exactly… very nice…"

"They were the kind of dragons who liked to steal from others and burn stuff, huh?" Dulcy said with a sad, knowing smile. Chris felt relief sweep over him as he realized she knew more then he'd thought. Cream and the others were shocked at the mention of that kind of behavior, though. "Ma taught me all she could about our people's history and the other dragon clans, and mentioned that some of them liked to rob other races, though she didn't go into details..." Dulcy's expression softly switched into one of shame, and Chris was struck by the emotional shift in the dragon. Given his own experiences and the history and reputation his people had with Mobians, he felt rather compassionate given her background.

"Granted, that's in the part of Overland where _my _people came from," Chris said suddenly. The Mobians were confused, but Cream and Dulcy were more curious than anything.

"_Your_ people?" Tails asked, scrutinizing Chris carefully. "I thought you were a human?"

Chris had a small chuckle at the kit's question. "Yes, that's right. Humans are complicated though, and we're made up of a lot of peoples and backgrounds based on genetics and physical appearance," he explained to the Mobian youngsters, who stared at him, trying to understand the wide world of anthropology. _Better skip the biodiversity lecture_, he decided. "In simpler terms, there are a lot of different kinds of humans, which means different kinds of stories about dragons. I got a lot of… bad dragon stories… but there were a lot nicer stories from the Eastern parts of Overland," he said, smiling as Dulcy's ears perked at the information. "In East Overland cultures, I was told that Dragons were regarded as wise and helpful... I don't have a lot to go on beyond that, but what I tell you is true," he continued on. Not for the first time, he wished Tanaka was still alive, if only because he could have explained this so much better and with so much more skill than he could.

Dulcy for her part just grinned. "Really?"

"Really," Chris said with a nod, quashing the memories of his loyal servant and friend then and there. "Don't worry about it, anyways. It… it's just ancient history," he said with a kind smile. _You damn hypocrite, _his mind jeered at the back of his consciousness. _'Don't worry about it', 'just ancient history'… Bet you wish that were true, don't you? _The voice continued even as Dulcy visibly cheered up. Chris felt his smile tremble a bit as he battled the angry voices in his head. Living alone for a year with the dead had left its mark on his sanity, but he wasn't about to lose control in front of everyone.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Dulcy said in agreement, giving Chris something to focus on much to his gratitude. "It's just never a good thing to hear about your own kind doing something bad."

Chris stared at her for a moment wondering if the penny would drop in her mind, but she missed what she was saying. "Good heavens. You don't say?" He muttered in a deadpan before before shaking it off and looking down to the others. "Well kids, thanks for introducing Dulcy, but Rotor is probably buried under a pile of junk or something by now. Take care, all of you," he said softly. Cream and Cheese nodded up to him.

"Okay, Chris," Cream said, smiling up at him. "Thanks for coming along," she added, Cheese nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, it was real nice to meet you," Tails piped up, a similar smile on his fluffy face.

"It was very nice to meet you all too. I will see you later at home, Cream. Have fun until then," Chris said with a nod before returning where he'd come from. Amy waved after him, calling after him with cupped hands.

"Have a nice day, Chris!"

"Thank you. You too!" Chris hollered back, looking over his shoulder to see that all four of them were waving to him, a gesture he happily returned. His pace was brisk as he headed out, a smile on his face as he made his way back to Rotor's. The meeting with Dulcy and Cream's friends had left him feeling surprisingly happy. Carefree, even! That cynical part of his mind noted that it these were only young Mobians, and he shouldn't hope for more… For the first time, though, he felt a more optimistic part of his mind pushed forward- It was okay that they were young, that didn't matter at all as long as they liked him. Besides several of the more important Freedom Fighters didn't care about his presence in Knothole, even the daughter of the person his people blamed single-handedly for starting the war.

_Maybe I could make this work… Maybe with some time and effort I can just walk down the main streets and actually not be told-_

He heard a snap behind him.

He twirled around instantly, assuming a combat stance as his eyes gazed about frantically for signs of an intruder. His heart thumped in his chest and already he could feel a cold sweat begin to form over him as he prepared himself for the inevitable assault. Silence reigned, and he saw no signs of the attacker. Then the sound emerged again, and this time he saw the source of it before him.

It was a squirrel. Not a mobian squirrel, oh no; this was a wild squirrel, holding a nut in its paws and tromping over some twigs and leaves. It paused in its trek to look up at Chris curiously, and Chris suddenly felt very foolish… almost as if the squirrel were mocking Chris for having reacted to it like that. Laughing nervously, he resumed a more casual stance and rubbed the back of his head as he watched the squirrel run off with its prize, shaking his head lightly. "Oh boy Chris, you really ARE losing it," he said with a soft chuckle as he turned around and resumed his journey.

_You're jumping at the sound of squirrels, Chris. You're literally jumping at the footfalls of cute little forest creatures, _he admonished himself lightly. _You need to lighten up. There's nobody following you here or anywhere else, nobody plotting to kill you, and certainly nobody planning to-_

His train of thought was violently interrupted by a sudden blinding agony at the side of his head.

He never knew what hit him.


	15. When the Bubble Bursts

**Disclaimer:** Well, ain't this a miracle? A chapter only two weeks in instead of a dozen! Okay, so it's rather short compared to my usual chapter lengths, but as my beta-reader explains it helps the flow of the story better, and the next one up should take a similarly short amount of time to get made. That being said, here's the usual legal mumbo-jumbo; I own nothing. While certain concepts utilized are mine, this fic is a fanwork of Sonic the Hedgehog, which is owned by SEGA, with properties owned by Archie and DIC. It isn't made for profit, only for entertainment and spreading foolish fan ideas. This is freely made and distributed, I make no profit from it.

**A Difficult Road Traveled**

**Chapter Fifteen:**… **When the Bubble Bursts**

He quite literally did not know what hit him. The last thing he remembered doing was trying to swear and it slurring into a hiss of pain. Awareness came back in a rush with a gasp as his eyes blinked open, very aware something was wrong. He was lying on the ground and he was wounded. He'd been wounded enough times to know it wasn't too bad, but it wasn't too good either. Warm trickling down your temple means a head wound, and head wounds bled a lot more than you'd like… He was tempted to call for a medic, but…

_Oh yeah, they're all dead._ _Gosh. What a tragedy._

Chuckling darkly at his dark thoughts, he lurched into a sitting position as his ears caught the sounds of leaves rustling. His attacker! He tried to focus on the movement but his head was spinning, his vision skewing in all directions. He thought about yelling something after him but nausea killed that idea right out. He staggered to his feet, trying to watch the dark shape take off into the distance. It was gone before his eyes could even try to follow it around.

"Damn it." He gurgled, taking in a few deep breaths and closing his eyes, hoping it would stop the spinning. Concussion? Not subdural hematoma, surely. That would have been the back of the head –

"DAMN IT." It came out clearer this time, and he opened his eyes, feeling anger, rage and indignation pull him into a clearer state of awareness. He took stock of the situation, and noted his vision was wobbly, but stable.

He looked around himself; things looked back to normal despite the occasional bout of blurriness, and his hand was now pressed against his injured temple in an effort to stop the bleeding. Absently he looked around for signs of his assailant, forgetting momentarily that the instigator of this attack was long gone; but in his searching, he managed to see just what had struck him. Beside him was a rock the size of a Mobian's hand… or rather a fist. Wrapped round with a thin piece of string there appeared to be a note tied to it. He grabbed clumsily at the note, not even bothering to untie it from the rock, unfolding it and holding it before him. Scribbled upon it in thick, all capitalized letters was a simple message.

"GET OUT"

It was stenciled. No handwriting to track his assailant with. Damn.

Chris snarled and crumpled the note in his hand, looking towards where he'd seen his assailant run. "SAME TO YOU!" he yelled out furiously as he lurched angrily in his attacker's direction, but gave up quickly and found a tree to lean against, wincing and stumbling slightly. There had been an oft repeated phrase in the Overlander Armed Forces, one that had been passed down to the Resistance and was spoken as often as please or thank you when thinking of Mobians and all the headaches they'd caused humans. "Fucking Furries," he grunted. Some sayings never died, no matter how many years passed…

The anger steadied him, and he soon found that despite some wobbly vision he was more or less able to walk in a straight line. He marched determinedly towards Rotor's hut, not quite sure what would happen if he met any Mobians along the way. Thankfully, none appeared, though he could have sworn there were whispers and even some hushed laughter at his bloodied face as he walked through the forest paths. Or was it all in his head? Either way, no one came to challenge him. _And no one lifts a finger to help you either_, muttered that hateful voice in the bowels of his mind.

Spotting Rotor's all-too-familiar hut, he forced himself to calm down before stumbling in… whatever his feelings at the moment, Rotor did not deserve to have them taken out on him. Lurching forward, he shoved his way through the door. Rotor was at his bench, working on something as per usual. He chuckled and lifted his goggles up as he deactivated the torch he was using.

"Hi Chris. How was Dul- WHOA!" Rotor's shock made him drop the welder at the sight of Chris' obvious wound. "Chris, what happened?!" he asked in a panic, rushing to support a woozy Chris.

"Well… I took a rock to the head." Chris summarized dizzily, handing Rotor the crumpled note in his hand. "Had a note… should see the doc again."

Rotor read the note, his expression quickly turning disgusted. He dismissed it quickly as Chris needed his help more than anything. "Did you see who did it?" he asked even as he helped Chris towards the door.

"I'm afraid not… I saw him, but everything was shaky… still kinda is, actually," Chris said as he allowed Rotor to lead him out, leaning on him slightly for balance. Chris was bigger and heavier, but Rotor managed to get him to the Medical Hut with relative ease.

"Don't worry Chris, Dr. Quack'll patch you up. Just relax, and follow my lead," Rotor said assuringly as the medical hut came within sight. Both Chris and Rotor were relieved to see that there was no one else around it.

"Thanks, Rote," Chris said quietly as he was led into the medical hut… again. "At this rate I'll have to start renting a room here," he joked weakly. Rotor ignored him, and instead knocked rather frantically on the door.

"Doc, doc!" he called out. "Need a bit of help over here!"

"That seems rather obvious, Rotor," Dr. Quack's voice remarked as he entered. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of Chris' injury, but sighed quietly instead of panicking as Rotor had. "Follow me," he said, waving them over. Soon enough, all three were situated in the medical hut's treatment center, and Quack was busily looking over Chris' wound as he sat down before him. "…And how did this happen?" Dr. Quack asked calmly as he gathered his equipment.

"Someone isn't a fan," Chris murmured darkly, handing over the note as Quack returned to him. The doctor took the note and read it, frowning before looking over to Rotor.

"Rotor, would you be kind as to fetch Sally and Miss Vanilla while you're at it?" Quack asked calmly of the walrus. Rotor nodded rapidly.

"Will do, Doc. Hang in there, Chris!" Rotor stated before rushing out, stumbling slightly as he exited.

"I have a choice now?" Chris muttered under his breath. Quack smirked at his attempt at humor, but otherwise continued with his preparations.

"Alright now son, I'm going to need you to lie down and let me clean off the wound. You won't need stiches though. Actually, you got pretty lucky," the avian doctor noted while Chris simply grunted and obeyed his instructions, lying down upon the medical bench (arms and legs dangling off of it) and staring up at the ceiling flatly.

"_This_ is 'lucky'?" he groused as Dr. Quack got to work cleaning off his wound. "Some luck!"

"Had you been a Mobian, this kind of impact, related bruising and swelling in the head could have caused possibly fatal damage, _especially_ a hit to the temple where the circulatory system is more fragile in Mobians." Dr. Quack said in a deadly serious manner. Chris shifted uncomfortably, not liking that thought at all.

"Jeez," the human murmured, noting the doctor's lack of surprise at the situation. "I notice you don't seem all that surprised by this…"

"My boy, I love my fellow Mobian as much as any; and as a doctor, it is my duty to do so," Dr. Quack said matter-of-factly as he began to prepare a cotton wipe with disinfectant, "That being said, I am not blind to Mobian nature; sooner or later, I knew you would end up here again over something like this," Dr. Quack's expression became somewhat downcast. "I had hoped it would have been 'later' rather than sooner," he murmured before resuming his more professional demeanor. "Brace yourself now, this will sting."

"I've had worse," Chris said numbly as the stinging chemical was applied to his wound. "I WAS fighting in a war for most of my life, if you'll remember."

"So you say, tough guy," Quack shot back dryly, tossing the used wipe into a nearby bin. "Lift your head," he ordered, and once Chris did so he pressed a square piece of cotton against the wound and started to wrap his head in a bandage, tying it up shortly. "Alright then, we're done. Now if you could sit up, I'd like to check how bad your concussion might be."

"Oh my word!"

Chris sat up as he heard the outburst, and both he and Quack turned to face its source. Standing at the entryway was Rotor, with Princess Sally and Vanilla in tow. Vanilla had her hands to her mouth, her eyes wide as she beheld Chris. She lowered her hands and approached, wincing at the sight of the bandaging. "Rotor told us what had happened, but- Oh Chris, are you alright?" she asked.

"I've had worse," Chris grunted, rubbing the side of his head softly.

"Rotor explained to us what happened," Sally said, a dour frown on her face. "Do you still have the note?"

"I have it right here, Princess," Quack stated promptly, handing over the aforementioned note. Sally read it, her frown deepening at the sight of the hateful message.

"It's… sick," she murmured, shaking her head as she folded the note up, placing it inside a coat pocket, turning her attention back to Chris while Vanilla walked to his side, the older rabbit's gaze concentrating on Chris' wound, her face wrought with worry. "Chris," Sally said as she looked up at him, her demeanor all seriousness. "I need to know as much as you can give about what happened, and who did this to you if possible."

Chris gave her a flat look. "Well, obviously, someone hit me with a rock." There was a moment of silence as he let the attempt at humor fall flat. "Couldn't tell you much more than that. I guess someone wants to keep fighting the Great War." His expression soured as he thought about it and he laughed bitterly. "Never mind it's taken enough lives on both sides as it is, never mind you people WON it, and imposed all kinds of sanctions that made it all too easy for the damn robots to come along and make it worse, but now someone apparently wants to finish a war they probably weren't even around to see!"

Sally winced at the response. She rubbed at her arm, the guilt welling up in her already; guilt at knowing one of her subjects could do such a thing. "Chris, please don't be that way," she asked in a soft, almost pleading tone.

Chris was either unwilling or unable to stop himself. He couldn't tell which it was. "What way? I'm already saying what we both know," Chris said in a harsh tone, now glaring down at the Mobian princess. "After all, war-loving, polluting, obviously evil Overlanders just _love_ to cause trouble by walking around pure and innocent Mobian villages- my mere presence causes plants to wither you know?" A sadistic part of him was relishing this. "I mean I'm only living in Knothole, home of the kind, accepting, nature loving, freedom fighting-!"

Vanilla grabbed his shoulder gently; somewhat breathless with fear at this sour version of the man she was just starting to know. Chris seemed like he was going to snarl at her next, but something about her gaze made him still himself. There was a moment of silence as they stared into each others eyes as if trying to communicate telepathically… Chris eventually broke the connection, too ashamed to continue meet her gaze. "Chris," she began slowly. "I understand that you are frustrated to be here, and I understand that what's happened to you doesn't make it any easier," her tone began firm, but soon her expression softened, and her tone became gentle. "But please… don't act this way. It's not helping you, even though she is trying to. Please Chris, cooperate with her."

Chris blinked, still looking at the ground with an ashamed expression. The sadism faded and left only regret at his anger, as well as a throbbing headache. He groaned, placing his face into his palm as he tried to collect his thoughts as he allowed it to become his time to feel guilt and shame. Sighing heavily, he looked back over to Sally, who faced him uncertainly while Rotor and Dr. Quack flanked either side of her, the both of them looking almost like bodyguards. Chris hung his head down for a moment, before looking Sally in the eye, speaking in a calmer tone than he had used previously.

"Princess," he stopped to sigh again, this time out of frustration at the slip of using her largely unneeded title. "Sally… I'm sorry," he began, shaking his head slightly. "I… I am hurt, angry, and a little scared by this. I'm sorry for treating you this way, you don't deserve it, especially not after all you've done for me," he said in a small voice. "I am truly grateful for your allowing me to stay here, and I apologize for being so short with you."

Sally allowed a small smile to come over her face. "Your apology is accepted, if you will accept my apology for this happening," she said, her smile diminishing slightly. "Now, if you could please tell me what you remember…?"

"Okay, just… gimme a moment, still a little shaky here," Chris murmured, rubbing at his head again, frowning in concentration. "Well, as Rotor will tell you, I was helping him with a refrigeration unit. I took a break to meet Dulcy, Amy, and Tails along with Cream… After I was done meeting them I -" he winced as both the memory of the event in question and the pain in his wound flared up. "- I got hit from behind, in the side of the head head and I fell down, and during that time everything was blurry. I could see the guy running away, but I can't tell you anything about him other than him being a grey blob," he said, then stiffening as a sudden, horrified clarity came over his face. "Oh God…Cream, Cheese… they might be in danger from this guy; what if he goes after them?!"

Vanilla's own expression came to match Chris', and the both of them looked to Sally… only to see that both she and Rotor were remarkably calm. "If he did, he'd be in for a horrible surprise," Sally stated, giving them a reassuring smile. "Both Tails and Amy have received Freedom Fighter training and have actual combat experience, while Dulcy is… well, a dragon; if this person tried to do anything to them, or to Cream for that matter, he'd be in for a very nasty surprise."

Chris managed to relax a bit, but Vanilla still looked uncertain. "Are you sure…?" she asked, somewhat fretfully, and Chris turned his head to look her way, now wearing a smile not unlike Sally's own.

"If she says Tails and Amy can protect Cream, I believe her," Chris said with a nod. "Trust me on this; kids… can be tougher than you'd think. Especially Freedom Fighter trained ones," he continued. "Even I was… well, I guess a child soldier sounds terrible, but I was able to take care of myself, at least. So can the kids." _I hope._

"Well… if you say so," Vanilla murmured.

"Well, if they can't the giant fire-breathing dragon certainly can," Chris said wryly.

"That being said… it might be best if we had Amy or Tails keep an eye on her from here on out, just in case," Rotor spoke up at last, not losing the somber expression he'd carried throughout the conversation.

Sally nodded in agreement. "Not a bad call, Rotor," she said before looking to Chris and Vanilla. "I'll do what I can to investigate into this… we don't exactly have access to a crime lab here, but I still have my resources. I promise, Chris, we WILL find who did this to you and bring them to justice. I won't have anyone in Knothole acting this way," she said with fierce determination. "Until then, I suggest you take it easy for the day."

"Works for me," Chris said with a nod.

"Alright then… we'll leave you to it," Sally said, her brow soon furrowing into an apologetic glance towards the human. "And for what it's worth… I am so sorry that this happened."

"Don't be," Chris said with a sigh. "Whoever did this sure isn't. Why carry his burdens?"

"Can't blame a girl for trying," Sal cracked a bit weakly before turning around, waving to Rotor so that he might follow her. "I'll see the both of you later then, and I'll keep you updated on whatever I manage to uncover. Come on, Rotor."

"Right behind you, Sal," the walrus said, plodding on after her as she exited the medical hut, leaving Chris and Vanilla with the doctor.

"Before I let you go I'll need to do a few tests to check for any permanent damage," Dr. Quack said briskly as he began to put away the medical supplies he'd taken out and taking out a simple flashlight. "It's a standard operating procedure after head injuries."

"Sure," Chris said, giving an affirmative nod to the duck.

After some "Follow the Flashlight" to ensure blood was flowing to all the proper areas of his brain, Chris was on his way home. On the way back, Chris did his best to control that paranoid fear that somehow, a shot would ring out suddenly. Which was insane… but it didn't stop him from twitching at every snap of a branch. As for Vanilla, she was awash in righteous indignation at this uncivil behavior towards Chris. She walked as though a noblewoman on display with an honored guest, head held high and ignoring the stares and whispers of the various Mobians she and Chris passed on by. This was her daughter's friend and he had been through enough without vile gossip and rumor. She did her best to hide her ashamed and revolted feeling at this behavior. Chris was a hero for saving her daughter! As for being human… did that matter? Did his species truly mean more than his actions? Apparently yes, she realized.

Even she had had her doubts when Chris first arrived, even though she owed him far more than she could ever give. If it had been someone else who had taken him in, someone else who owed him everything and she on the outside looking in, could she really say that she would have been sympathetic towards him? More than likely, she too would have held the same suspicions and possibly even the same disdain the others shared for him. The thought of how probable it was… frightened her to her very core, and she kept her silence as both she and Chris entered her home.

"Well. Quite a day," Chris murmured tersely as he made his way over to the couch, carefully sitting down upon the undersized bit of furniture and allowing his body to slump over it.

"Can I get you anything?" Vanilla asked in a soft voice as she made her way for the kitchen.

"Got any ice?" Chris responded as he stared up at the ceiling almost blankly.

"A little…"

"Good… I need something for my head," Chris said with a sigh as he mulled over the events of the day. It was truly astounding how in the span of a few seconds, every defense and hope Chris had built up was broken before his eyes, and all it took was the throw of a rock to do it.

"Here you are, Chris," Vanilla said, handing over a small bit of ice tied up in cloth, the sound of her voice jerking him from his musings. He took the ice in hand and let out a relieved sigh as he pressed the chilled bundle of cloth into his bandaged area. "Ah, that hits the spot… thanks, Vanilla," he said gratefully to the she-rabbit.

Vanilla managed a weak, almost awkward smile. "You're welcome, Chris," she said softly, and for a moment the two said nothing, simply looking at one another. The silence became deafening, and Vanilla cleared her throat before continuing on. "Chris, I… I'm sorry-"

"Don't," Chris stated sharply, interrupting her, looking her in the eye as he spoke, a fierce determination spoken through his voice and eyes. "Don't start that. It's like I told Sally; that guy isn't sorry for what he did, and it's pointless for you to be sorry for something HE did. Anyway… it won't do us much good to linger on about it. What's done is done, and all we can hope for now is that Sally manages to find something on that note," he said. He wished he felt as confident as he sounded; inside, he was terrified. But if years of living in the hell of Metroside had taught him anything, pessimism was if anything a poor survival mechanism. He would not allow himself to appear weak, if only for the benefit of Vanilla and Cream.

Vanilla alas didn't seem quite as sure as Chris sounded. "And what do we tell Cream?"

"We'll - I'll tell her that I bumped my head against a door or something," Chris said without skipping a beat. Vanilla frowned slightly, her brow furrowing in disapproval. Chris's gaze didn't waver. "Look…I don't like the idea of lying to her, but I don't want her to worry. I know sooner or stuff like this will come up, but until then-"

"I understand," Vanilla said tiredly, walking over to take a seat next to Chris, her posture proper and poised as opposed to Chris' lounging stance. "It's just…" she let out a disgruntled sounding groan and shook her head. "This entire situation is just… sickening. It's sickening. What if the person who did this hadn't just stopped at a rock? What if he tried using a gun? That someone like that could be loose in Knothole, and that my daughter could…could become a target…" she shuddered slightly, at the thought.

"If he'd had one, I'm sure he would have used one… Come to think of it, he didn't even try and knife me when I was down," Chris said, putting his free hand to his chin. "Not the best assassin I've ever seen, to say the least. I thought he was a good shot at first, but I guess he just got lucky. In any case, he seems more obsessed with me," Chris said, his expression suddenly turning into a grim mask. "But if he makes the mistake of hurting a little girl because he can't get at me, he's dead. _**DEAD."**_ He spoke as if passing sentence on the mysterious Mobian attacker right then and there, hands clenched as if around his throat.

Vanilla stared at him, vaguely horrified, wide eyes. "You…you don't mean that, do you?" she asked in a small voice.

Chris looked over to her, the grim mask of murderous rage not quite fading. "I've seen a lot of horrible things, Vanilla… a lot of horrible things." he said, his look suddenly unfreezing and a wave of emotion and fear of loss overtaking him. "It's just… Cream and Cheese are so important, and-" His face wavered at the thought of something bad happening to them.

"I understand," Vanilla said quickly, before letting out a sardonic chuckle. "Well, not entirely… but I do feel better, knowing you would be so willing to protect Cream. I just wish… I hope you don't have to…" She seemed extremely uncomfortable. Chris regarded her questioningly; the impulse to kill someone who would threaten those he loved came so naturally that her response bewildered him. Then again, it was fairly common knowledge that by and large Mobians were less aggressive than humans. Perhaps then there was something to that reputed 'peace loving nature' of theirs, and he calmed himself before continuing to speak.

"I- I didn't mean to be so morbid. Besides, you can't blame a man for blustering a little after being hit by a rock, can you?" Chris quipped, and suppressed an inappropriate giggle at Vanilla's deadpan look at him. He gave an unconvincing smile and shrugged. "Besides, I know there are laws here… I won't actually… you know. It's just…" his smile vanished into a sad, haunted frown. "I've never killed a person before. I've been fighting robots, and machines that look like people, and I've been willing to die to hurt them. In fact up until about two weeks ago, I was willing to die for just about anything. Since I've met Cream and Cheese, they've been the first things in… months… years… maybe even half a decade… that I was willing to try and LIVE for. I can't- I mean…" he said in a quiet voice. "I've lost so much and failed so many who mattered… if I couldn't even protect an innocent girl…" He buried his face in his hands.

"Welcome to my world for the last eight years," Vanilla said, giving him a sympathetic pat to the shoulder. "For a long time now, Cream has been the center of my life along with Cheese. When the raiders took me from her… it was like I'd lost my will to live. I have you to thank for giving that back to me, along with my children," she gave a small, encouraging smile now. "And I am now more confident than ever that you really would do all you could to protect her."

"Between me and Tails and Amy, I think Cream and Cheese will enjoy a fair bit of security," Chris said, allowing himself a small chuckle. "Amy's a trained archer and Tails apparently knowing how to handle a wrench, I'd feel bad for anyone attacking Cream. I might even film it or try to get a picture of the look on his face."

Vanilla actually managed out a giggle. "Oh my, that would certainly be an unfortunate surprise."

Chris smiled more certainly now that Vanilla's own spirits seemed to have been lifted. "Yes, and definitely something worth seeing," he said with a smile. "Heck, Amy took a shot at Robotnik himself… do you really think some sneaky lowlife is going to be much of a match for someone capable of that?"

"No, I suppose you're right," Vanilla said, the smile on her face relaxed as the worry ebbed from her face. "Still…"

"There's always one of those, isn't there?" Chris piped up with a sigh, but he still wore his smile with reasonable confidence. "It's like I told you back at the medical hut; kids can be tougher then you think. Heck, Amy reminds me of this Shamari girl I knew back in the resistance, she-"

"Shamari?" Vanilla asked suddenly, her curiosity overriding her otherwise impeccable manners. "I do apologize for the interruption, but that term is unknown to me; what is a 'Shamari'?"

"Um…someone from Shamar," Chris said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. At Vanilla's confused expression, it occurred to him that for her it might not be such an obvious thing to answer. "Shamar is one of the far southern lands of Overland, located in a vast desert region called the Sand Ocean," Chris explained. "Roughly translated from its proper Shamari name of course… I don't recall it at the moment."

Rather than answering her questions, his words seemed to bring more confusion. "Nations?" she asked again. "But isn't Overland in itself a nation?"

"Oh yes, it is. But before it was a nation, it was a continent," Chris explained. Taking Vanilla's silence as a cue to continue, he began to elaborate. "It's a really long and insanely complicated story, but here's the gist of it; Overland is, to the best of anyone's knowledge, the continent where humankind evolved. From there, my people spread out to form various nations and kingdoms and empires and the like and for a very long time those countries competed against one another for resources and territory."

Vanilla gave a small nod. "I see… go on," she asked with a smile.

Chris happily obliged. "This was the status quo for a very long time, fighting each other when they weren't fighting Mobians; until eventually the obvious idea arose that as we were all the same species, maybe we should be helping each other rather than constantly fighting. Several alliances and political moves later, as well as after a great deal of fighting, the nations of Overland united into a single government."

"Really?" Vanilla asked, sounding astonished. "I had no idea that there existed such variety amongst Overlan- humans," she smiled sheepishly as she corrected the slang. "I don't really know much beyond the basics of humans coming from another continent and… well…other things…" she murmured as she recalled the rather speciest and brief lesson she had learnt in school concerning human culture. It had amounted to something around the lines of 'warlike', 'decadent' and 'no respect for nature'… there had never been anything even remotely hinting towards the idea that humans actually had a variety of cultures, not unlike Mobians. In retrospect the assumption seemed rather absurd.

Chris gave a wry smile. "Technically, overall our society IS more homogenized in some ways, but we never really lost what made our nations unique from one another; each region of Overland still maintains some of its old practices and local culture."

"I see. How fascinating," Vanilla said brightly.

"There's a lot more ground to cover then just that, a lot, lot more, but I think the oversimplification of my people's glorious history works for now," Chris said with a smirk. "And are you really fascinated and not just being polite by humoring me?" he asked jokingly.

"Oh no, I can promise you that," Vanilla said with a giggle. "You mentioned this Shamari girl… how was she like Amy?"

"Oh, well... like most of us she'd been trained to be a soldier when she was a kid," Chris said with a soft sigh. "She dealt with it a lot better than most though. She was always very cheerful and feisty, and I see some of that in Amy. Her name was Amani…I think," he murmured, using his free hand to rub the back of his head. "That was a long time ago, and I wasn't particularly close to her… we had a casual friendship, we sometimes talked." He let out a soft chuckle. "It's funny… she was always a footnote in my life, but now that I think about it I wish I'd gotten to know her better… along with everybody else on the base."

"That's the danger of taking things for granted, especially people," Vanilla said knowingly. "I've been there, dwelling about everybody I ever met but never bothered to know, and knowing what I do now I find I wish I had bothered to learn about them," she said with a heavy sigh, before flashing a curious look to Chris. "What more do you know about Shamar?" she asked, hoping to avoid turning this conversation into another downer. Chris, thinking along similar lines, stepped into line.

"Well, I know they're the creators of elastic ice cream," Chris said with a shrug, sniggering at Vanilla's expression. "I'm not kidding; they created this kind of ice cream that has the elasticity of putty; it was great," he said with a nostalgic smile before getting back to business. "Aside from that, I know a few basic things about Shamar; it was one of the oldest unified nations in Overland, and they contributed many scientific discoveries to the early world, like algebra."

"They did?" Vanilla asked with wide eyes. "I…I was never informed of that. I always thought it had been the Echidna…"

"Nope," Chris said with a chuckle. "The Shamari beat them by about a century, and the Echidna developed their own stuff based off of what was established in Shamar."

"They never taught that to us in school," Vanilla said with a slight frown. "We were always told that the echidna were the first race to utilize mathematics so advanced. Though given everything else we were taught, or rather NOT taught about humans, I wouldn't be surprised if that was just propaganda…"

"Oh, like MY teachers stressed the importance of Mobiankind to our development?" Chris countered. "Seriously, we were taught that the most Mobians had going for them was dumb luck and that, with a few exceptions, they just leeched off of us in order to develop beyond a stone age level of civilization," he pointed out flatly. "Does that sound even remotely truthful to you?"

"I get the point," Vanilla said. "And I don't have much of a right to be surprised anyway, given the history between our peoples," she continued before looking to him. "Not that it doesn't make the deception any less disgraceful, mind you."

"Of course not," Chris said with a shake of his head. "You know, since I told you a little bit about the history of my nation, why don't you return the favor and tell me a bit about the Kingdom of Acorn?" He asked, feeling his curiosity now genuinely piqued by the idea. Just as Vanilla had little in depth knowledge of Overland, so too did he realize he knew precious little about the nation of his people's enemies beyond a few smattering details here and there.

Vanilla paused , placing her hand to her chin. "Oh dear, where do I even begin?" she asked aloud before settling her gaze upon Chris. "Well in many ways, the Kingdom's story is a lot like the story of your own nation; the unification you mentioned is not unlike what Alexander Acorn tried to build with the Kingdom of Acorn," Vanilla said thoughtfully, smiling at Chris' questioning expression. "Alexander Acorn was the founder of the Kingdom of Acorn; his stated goal in creating the kingdom was to create a nation where each species of Mobian could contribute something, each race and culture's strengths aiding one another and bringing peace and prosperity for all."

"How'd that work out?" Chris asked with a raised brow. He recalled Cream mentioning some kind of attitude held against insect Mobians held by mammals, and back at the Wolf Pack's caves he could remember the story behind Reynard's name.

"In all honesty… it's been a bit hit and miss," Vanilla said with a slight frown. "Under the law, all Mobian races have the same rights as the other, but in practice there still exist subtle prejudices between Mobians… placental mammals and avians held most of the important stations in society, and even then only birds and mammals from the regions where the Kingdom first originated. Reptiles and insects formed a minority population, and their treatment has… not always been the most admirable thing," she said with a sad sigh. "It's… extremely complicated I'm afraid to say."

"Sounds like it," Chris said with a frown. Once more he was being given insight into how Mobians viewed themselves, and not for the first time he was astonished… everything he'd ever heard about Mobians had suggested they were a bunch of ultra-accepting hippies, but perhaps that was just the image that had been created while he and his fellow humans remained blissfully unaware of the truths laying under the surface.

"We were never really allowed to talk about it though," Vanilla murmured, her frown deepening. "Nor were we allowed to discuss the rightness of certain territories being conquered; Mercia, Downunda, the Southern Baronies… there is a national narrative at play, and the law forbade us to question it."

"You sound almost bitter…" Chris said carefully, only to be surprised by a sudden, cheerful smile from the rabbit.

"Before all this madness, I was an activist in high school," she giggled. "I got into SO much trouble for it too, made my father go prematurely grey," she said with a wistful sigh. "Back in those days, I thought there wasn't a problem around that I couldn't solve by appealing to common decency… such wonderful, naïve times," she said sadly, shaking her head. "And then Robotnik happened."

"Oh boy, isn't that everybody's story by this point?" Chris said with a knowing look. "Out of curiosity... I don't suppose your life of teenage rebellion had anything to do with your family coming from the Southern Baronies? Cream mentioned your family was from there, and as you mentioned that as having been a conquered nation I couldn't help but wonder."

"Guilty as charged," Vanilla said with a small smile. "My ancestors did indeed come from the Southern Baronies. They were a loose confederation of royal fiefdoms; they feuded often, and would ally primarily only in the defense of the entire region. For a time, the Southern Baronies and the Kingdom of Acorn were fierce rivals for control of Mobos," Vanilla said as she recounted the history of her homeland. "Things escalated into war roughly two centuries ago, and the Baronies were defeated and subsequently conquered by the Kingdom of Acorn… and it's still been a sore spot for many in the former Barony territories," she further explained, shaking her head slightly. "To the point that there was an attempted uprising and secession in 3199..."

"Yeowch," Chris winced. "How did that one end?"

"A five year civil war was fought, one that ended in the complete defeat of the Baronies and the solidification of their subordination to the House of Acorn," Vanilla responded matter-of-factly. "It shames me to say that when I was younger I viewed the whole thing as some romantic uprising against an oppressive government… it was after Robotnik took over and I grew older that I started to realize that it was as much about wounded pride and egotism as it was about 'restitution' and 'justice'," she said with a light, disdainful snort. "While I still don't think the Kingdom of Acorn was right to conquer the Baronies, such behavior is unbecoming and utterly selfish, and it's all the worse because of the lives lost from it," she uttered darkly, before resuming a more pleasant expression. "At any rate, my family was originally of the Baronies, but my father, Buford, left to head northward and start a business," she explained. "My father became a major industrial player in the kingdom, and later along the line he would help his younger brother Beaumont to start his own company down South," she further elaborated.

"I take it that this Beaumont guy was Bunnie's dad?" Chris asked, Vanilla giving an affirmative nod.

"Precisely. As I grew up in the North rather than the South, I never did pick up the accent, though my father made sure I grew up with an appreciation of certain southern things," she smiled, looking down at her dress for a moment before looking back over to Chris. "And what of your family, Chris?" she asked innocently.

Chris found it a bit surprising that he didn't feel the usual stab of sorrow at having his family brought up… moreso, he found it surprising that he was actually in the mood to discuss his family in more depth than usual. Chris smiled and placed a hand to his chin, making a show of trying to recall the details his Grandfather had imparted upon him regarding the family history. "Hmm," he began, "If I remember things correctly, my family actually came from one of the southern regions of Overland, a place called 'Spagonia'. I've been there a few times when I was a kid… nice place, really good food there as well. Anyway, Spagonia was the birthplace of my house's founder, Galileo Di Argine-Spinosa. For reasons I don't quite remember, Galileo left his homeland to move to a country called the United Federation of Erikos," he lowered his hand and let out a chuckle at Vanilla's curious expression. "The United Federation was one of the pre-Unification governments that existed, one of the most successful and powerful democracies of its day, so much so that a lot of concepts were borrowed from it to form the post-Imperial government…" he stopped talking when he saw Vanilla's uncomprehending expression, and he gave a sheepish chuckle. "But ah, that's a very long story… anyway, Galileo moved to the United Federation and settled down in it, and to make the transition easier he changed his surname… which, when translated into common-tongue, meant 'Thorny Dyke', hence the name 'Thorndyke'," he explained, utterly relieved at the lack of giggles from the mobian woman… he had lost count about how many times inappropriate snickering tended to ensue when he gave his surname back home.

"Very interesting… what does it say that I'm learning more about human history from you, then I ever learned in school?" Vanilla asked with a chuckle. Chris grinned.

"Probably the same thing it says that I learnt more about the intricacies of the Kingdom of Acorn from you then I ever did back home," he then smirked. "Of course, as I've had little formal schooling and had to go by what my grandfather and a few others said I can't exactly blame the educational practices of my homeland now can I?"

"Excuses, excuses," Vanilla said sardonically as she got up from the couch, heading back towards the kitchen. "It's beginning to get late, and I should be readying dinner," she paused a moment to look at Chris over her shoulder questioningly. "I don't suppose you'd like to learn a bit of cooking?"

"You know what? That sounds lovely," he said calmly, standing up to follow after her. "I will be getting my own place eventually, after all… it stands to reason that I should learn how to cook for myself," he said with a chuckle, prompting a smile from the rabbit.

"Yes, that _would b_e a rather vital skill to learn now wouldn't it?" she said as she began to prepare the kitchen for the ensuing meal.

"You're telling me," Chris murmured as he watched her work, staying out of her way as best he could in the cramped kitchen, before a lingering thought from earlier took him, and he asked; "You know, I forgot to ask this earlier, but considering the history you gave me about the Southern Baronies and your own life, do you feel awkward at any level living here, under the last surviving member of the Acorn dynasty?"

Vanilla paused a moment before looking over to Chris. "At first I did," she said. "But after meeting her a few times and seeing how she interacted with the people here all that vanished. I know you've been told this before, but she really isn't what you would expect."

"Don't I know it," Chris said. "Lupe told me as much when I was at the Wolf Pack's caves and it still took meeting the princess to understand what she'd meant. I still feel a little awkward though, despite how good she's been to me in letting me stay here with you and Cream rather than in a cell," Chris confessed, rubbing the back of his head guiltily.

"It's an understandable enough feeling. Your people's history with the Kingdom is far, far more sordid than that of the Baronies," Vanilla pointed out as she began to rummage for ingredients. "But hopefully, it will pass with time."

"Not like I've got much choice in the matter," Chris said with a shrug. "So then, what will be making for tonight, oh sensei?" he quipped.

"Oh, just a simple vegetable casserole for tonight," Vanilla said as she took the ingredients out and deposited them by the dishes, flashing him a quizzical look. "'Sensei'?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

"It's a Seiryuan word that means 'teacher'," Chris said with a chuckle. "Seiryu was an East Overland nation, and the homeland of my butler Tanaka. I picked up a few phrases from him."

"You'll have to tell me all about him and his home when we are done," Vanilla said as she took off her gloves and started to wash her hands in the sink. "Now, wash your hands and listen to me carefully."

"Will do," Chris said with a nod, walking over the sink to do as she did, happy for the distraction. With everything that had happened today, he was simply eager to do anything that would take his mind off of his attacker and the possibility of what he might be facing from here on in. For a moment, he would be able to enjoy a veneer of normalcy and peace.

For however long it might last.


	16. From Bad to Worse

**Disclaimer: **Well, this one took a bit longer than expected, but then things are heating up here at the college, so I had to prioritize. Lucky for you and I my Beta Reader is an amazing individual who actually offered to finish the sections that needed reworking… I accepted. So, for hopefully one time only, you've got this special edition, partially made by Quicksilver chapter to enjoy, so give much thanks to Silver for it. As per usual, nothing is mine, nothing at all; it's all SEGA, DIC and ARCHIE and is not made for profit, just for fun and enjoyment.

**A Difficult Road Traveled **

**Chapter Sixteen: From Bad to Worse**

Once they were finished getting cleaned up, Vanilla lead Chris to the kitchen table. On it was a piece of paper, which Vanilla picked up with a sigh.

"Before we do anything, I'm going to have to requisition some potatoes… I was about to before I got called in to see you," she explained, looking at the paper before looking back up at Chris.

"Requisition?" Chris asked as he looked down at the paper; from where he stood it looked like a crudely made form of some sort, but he could see Vanilla's signature along with text requesting potatoes.

"Knothole grows much of its food locally, in addition to whatever can be taken from the forest around the village," Vanilla said. "While food isn't exactly scarce, it still needs to be watched carefully; as such, any requests for food need to be approved by the quartermaster, Frank. It's all very straightforward really."

"Makes sense," Chris said with a nod, and then gave the form a thoughtful look. "You know, I could go fetch the potatoes for you."

"You would?" Vanilla asked, giving him a surprised glance. "But…after today… aren't you a bit worried about what might happen?" she asked, giving a concerned frown.

"Whoever did this wants me to drive me away, and if I just hide away it'll mean he's succeeding in his goals," Chris said in a firm voice. "I've been through too much to just start cringing away when some coward who won't even confront me face to face decides I haven't got a right to be here."

Vanilla said nothing for a few moments, looking down at her requisition form and then back up at him, worry written on her face. "Alright," she said in a nervous tone of voice. "If you say so," she handed over the requisition form. "The quartermaster's hut is located just outside the storage area; Frank himself is a beaver," she explained. "Please… be careful."

"Always," Chris said with a nod… and then came the sound of a door opening, and a cheerful voice calling through the hut.

"Momma, we're home!"

"Chao chao!"

Both Chris and Vanilla turned to meet the source of the sound, Cream bounding in happily as Cheese floated on after her. "We had such a wonderful day today with our new friends, they're really-" the little rabbit suddenly gasped in shock and pointed to Chris. "Chris! Oh goodness, what happened?" she cried out, bounding over to the human while Cheese floated over to look over the bandage on his head, his expression just as worried as Cream's own.

Chris cast an aside glance to Vanilla before kneeling down to Cream, smiling and planting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm okay, Cream, I just didn't watch where I was going and bumped my head… everything's so small here, I still need to remember to duck my head down when I go through a door," Chris said, giving her an assuring pat even as he lied. "I'm fine Cream, really."

"Are you sure?" Cream asked, his words doing little to cure her of her worry.

"I'm sure," Chris nodded insistently. "In fact, I was just about to get some vegetables for tonight's dinner. I'm just fine, Cream."

Cream frowned, and before Chris could speak any further dove in to deliver a fierce hug, Cheese doing similar to one of his arms. "Okay, but you still need one of these," she said stubbornly, squeezing him tightly, Cheese doing similar as if on cue.

"Chao!"

It had been a long time since Chris had been around people, much less received any kind of affection. He couldn't help but smile and feel his heart melt a little from its somewhat cynical viewpoint at this teeny little girl trying to make him feel better. "Well…I certainly needed that," he said gently, stepping up once the two released him. "I'll be back soon. In the meantime, why don't you help your mother prepare things for dinner?"

Both Cream and Cheese backed away from Chris, both smiling brightly. "Alright," Cream said with a nod, Cheese giving one of his characteristic chirps before the both of them headed over to Vanilla.

"I could certainly use the help," she said, looking down at the two before looking over to Chris, smiling serenely. Chris gave a similar smile before heading to the door.

"Be back in a moment," he said, and then was out the door and back into the village. While he kept his senses trained to pick up on any sign of movement or that someone was sneaking upon him, he found himself feeling rather pleasant all things considered. Pleasant enough that he could ignore some of the stares and ugly looks he received from a few passersby, once he at last managed to get to the supply hut. He paused for a moment, looking amidst the collected huts before spotting one that looked more like a vendor's stand; he could see a middle aged beaver clad in a green smock sitting behind the counter languidly, looking rather bored. Spotting him, Chris headed over to the quartermaster and stood before him. To his surprise, the beaver barely reacted; his eyes lazily inched over to Chris before returning to simply observing his fingers.

Chris cleared his throat before speaking. "Excuse me sir, but are you the Quartermaster?"

"Yeah, that's me," Frank responded without even looking towards the human. "Whaddya want?"

This did not bode well. "Vanilla Rabeau has a requisition form for some potatoes; I'm just here to fetch them for her," he said, feeling strangely as if he were being judged… he quickly handed the paperwork over as if to ward off suspicion that he was some kind of tater thief. Frank's eyes trailed over to the form, and then up to Chris, before once more looking away.

"We're out of potatoes. Sorry," he said disinterestedly.

Chris frowned slightly. "…You're out," he said with some derision at the complete lack of effort on Frank's part.

"What, are you deaf? Yeah, we're out," Frank said again, glancing at Chris with an annoyed glare. Chris leaned over what couldn't have been more than an inch to see that directly behind the beaver were massive amounts of vegetables and supplies in various containers, including a very prominent, obviously full burlap sack labeled "taters" in what appeared to be marker, with a more official "Potatoes" in stenciled font directly beneath it.

Chris stared blankly at the "taters" for a moment, and then looked down at some forms the Mobian had been filling out moments ago and saw the same font on the forms that he had on the bags. Well, that solved that little mystery. Despite telling himself to be calm, he couldn't help but feel his free hand tighten into a fist and wonder how far Frank would fly with a good solid throw out the door. "Oh? Then what's that over there?" he asked, trying to keep his temper in check as he motioned towards the sack of potatoes. Frank looked over his shoulder and then shrugged.

"All I know is it that ain't for you, overlander," he responded, narrowing his eyes slightly up at the human. Chris suddenly realized his jaw was very, very clenched very, very tightly.

"Look, I don't even need anything, this is for VANILLA, remember?" Chris said, doing his best to stress the fact that he was doing this for Vanilla and not himself. "She already has permission for some potatoes."

"And when she wants them, she can get them herself," Frank said smoothly. "Until then, I don't owe you a damn thing."

Chris' glare intensified. "It's not about owing me anything it's -," he stopped. This was pointless, and he needed to avoid problems, stay out of trouble even with this idiot sitting on top of all the goods and giving him the most mocking look in the entire world… _Take a few deep breaths; try not to think about throwing him out the window; who cares if he's some idiot, right? It's all good…_

And then Frank chuckled.

"GOD DAMN YOU!" he finally snapped, slamming his fist down upon the counter and causing Frank to actually yelp and back off, his hands up defensively. Not a smart move, he realized suddenly. If there were anyone unfriendly nearby that would have been a huge mist-

"There a problem here?" Of course, when it came to Chris and mistakes, it never rained, it poured.

Chris turned his head to face the source of the accented voice… his eyes widened upon seeing the familiar source; a mobian skunk, the same mobian skunk who had shot him when he first arrived in the Great Forest… it could be no one else but Geoffrey St. John. The aforementioned St. John was glaring up at Chris, patting the cross-bow mounted on his arm, as if saying 'try something, I DARE you', and looking as though he wanted nothing more. Chris felt his blood go cold as he stepped back from Frank's stand and glared right back down at the skunk.

Frank, at seeing St. John and seeing that Chris was no longer focusing his attentions on him, immediately stepped forward to point the human's way. "H-he threatened me! That's what the problem is!" Frank yelped out frantically, causing Chris to close his eyes and grimace, realizing how bad this looked for him.

"Look, I -"

"Threatening a citizen, eh?" St. John said coolly, a smirk upon his face. "Can't be having that, now can we? I told the princess somethin' like this would happen, letting a human into the village." Chris took a moment to remind himself that double homicide was generally considered being rude to what were mostly very kind hosts… mostly… before making eye contact again, but that bilious anger percolated dangerously in the back of his head.

"This man is withholding dutifully requisitioned supplies," Chris said in a flat tone of voice. He'd fought enough battles to know when one was hopeless, but for his sake and Vanilla's, he had to at least try. He held up the note in St. John's face for emphasis. "I'm trying to collect on Vanilla Rabeau's behalf."

"If she wants potatoes she can get them herself," Frank piped up. "But until then, we don't serve Overlanders here!"

"IT'S JUST SOME DAMN POTATOES." Chris bellowed before lowering his voice to a more appropriate volume. "Is that so much to ask?"

"Don't you use that tone with me, hairless," St. John said with a sneer. "Bad enough you've been pestering upstanding citizens of this village in addition to you livin' here, but mouthin' off to an officer of the Kingdom? You're aimin' to land yourself some jail time, Overlander."

Chris felt so angry and demeaned he barely heard him, the smug expression on the skunk's face making him want to just let loose and tear him limb from limb that much more tempting. Had a certain small rabbit not given him a very endearing hug and a very nice lady not been relying on his behavior, pushing his limits would have been the last mistake they'd ever made. Chris restrained himself and simply offered a non-commital grunt, his jaw tight like a vice and the requisition form in a death-grip hand ass he stomped on past the skunk and away from the uncooperative quartermaster. As if all that wasn't bad enough, a small crowd of Mobians that had gathered to watch his row with Frank, and they were of course gossiping. Public humiliation had never been Chris's thing.

"Fucking furries…" Chris growled to himself as he stomped away, pausing a moment to collect his breath and calm down. "No… that's wrong…" he murmured out loud to himself. Being at the point between Vanilla's hut and that particular section of the village, he felt free to indulge the habit. "They're just a couple of bigots, and they don't reflect the entire population of this village," he said, almost like a recovery mantra. "Vanilla has been very kind to you, as have the various Freedom Fighters… this is just a rough moment, but it will pass," he at last finished with a sigh. He shook his head at allowing St. John and Frank get to him, and instead chose to focus on Vanilla and Cream to assuage his remaining kernels of anger. He felt it working, the last embers of rage dissipating as he recalled all the good those two had done for him. Within a few moments, he-

"Heya!"

A blush flash appeared before him, and he jumped back with a yelp. What the hell?

"Heh, not the response I'm used to, but hey, I can roll with it."

Chris blinked for a moment. Standing before him was a blue furred hedgehog with green eyes, wearing red and white sneakers. Chris immediately calmed down, and glanced down, trying to control the feeling of ice flowing through his veins. He was all too familiar to Chris, though they had never met once in person… memories of long, envious nights back in Overland came to Chris, nights spent observing this hedgehog as he made a mockery of Robotnik, and wishing beyond anything that it could have been him doing similar for his people, even as they fell to their graves one by one.

"Name's Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog," the blue mobian said with a grin, offering up a hand. Chris looked at the hand as if touching it would inflict him with an incurable disease, and then shot his glance back down to the hedgehog. If he could detect any of Chris' anger, he wasn't showing it, and that served to fuel Chris' loathing all the more.

"Yes. I am well aware of who you are," he said in an attempt at politeness, but it turned into bitter ice in his mouth. Memories flared; horrible memories of death, fire and bloodshed, mixed in with displays of power and bravado from a single Mobian who did alone what man died to achieve in his home… he felt his hatred and jealousy fester like a disease, his chest tightening from the sensation.

"Huh. Didn't think any Overlanders aside from Robbuttnik and Snively knew about me," Sonic said with a raised brow.

Chris' eyes narrowed, and this Sonic picked up on, flinching slightly at the glare being directed his way. "And you think I'm like them?"

Sonic put his hands up defensively. "What? No man, that ain't what I meant-!"

"Of course not," Chris tried to say, but again it came out as a scoff. He grimaced, knowing he was being petty and vindictive. But so many had died, and this one… creature… had lived a happy life thanks to a fluke in his genetic structure. It was too much to bear too soon. "Look, I have things to do," he said rather confrontationally.

Sonic's brow rose and he took a step back, off-put by the display of hostility. "Hey, easy there man," he said cautiously. "I just wanted to say 'Hi' to the guy that saved Vanilla's kid, alright? She's a cousin of one of my best friends, and-"

"Yes, I know, it's amazing that baby-eating, good for nothing, always evil Overlanders actually care about anything," Chris said, cutting him off and glowering down at him. "But I've had enough of being patronized and profiled for one day," he said curtly, and stomped his way past the hedgehog without even bothering to say 'good bye', leaving a very confused and somewhat freaked out hedgehog in his wake.

Sonic watched as the human walked away, utterly baffled by what had just transpired. Under normal circumstances he would not allow such treatment to stand, but the sheer amount of hostility he had encountered from Chris had been… perplexing to say the least. He frowned and scratched at his ear. "Huh… was it something I said…?" he asked himself out loud. "Guess the pain-killers ain't doin' their job," he murmured, having noted the bandages around Chris' head. Shaking his head at the exchange, he shrugged… what else could he do? And with that, he sped off and away, to spend time where his company might be appreciated.

Chris in the meantime continued his furious trek back to Vanilla's house, his bad mood made all the worse by his encounter with the hedgehog. He tried to be gentle when opening the door and instead almost ripped it off its hinges. Damn. Vanilla's voice spoke up from the kitchen, blissfully unaware of Chris' current mood. "Welcome back Chris, did you manage to get the-" she stopped at the sound of the door, flinching at the sudden noise before looking over her shoulder at Chris. "…potatoes…"

"Chris, what's wrong?" Cream asked as she stepped forward to her surrogate sibling. Chris looked down at the worried little rabbit kit, and found the willpower to calm himself down from his anger, his expression melting away into a tired looking frown.

"They don't serve Overlanders it would seem," he said tersely, feeling a mountain of bitter acid building in his chest. "No exceptions."

Vanilla gave a disappointed sounding sigh. "I see..." she said as she walked over to Chris. "I'll go get them myself," she said as she gave Chris an apologetic look, Chris wordlessly handing over the somewhat crumpled requisition form. She turned her head to Cream. "Cream, if you could be a dear and hold the fort while I'm gone…?"

"Yes, momma," Cream nodded.

"Good girl… I might take a bit with this. I'm going to give Frank a piece of my mind," Vanilla said with a frown, walking past Chris and out of the house, Chris watching her as she left and sighing heavily.

"What a day," Chris murmured to himself as he slowly made his way to the kitchen, shaking his head slightly as he looked about the various bits and pieces of food that were in the process of being made into casserole. Cream looked up at him worriedly, walking up to him from behind and gently taking hold of his hand.

"Are you okay, Chris?" she asked softly. Cheese waddled up beside her, looking up at Chris with those large eyes of his, his own expression mirroring Cream's own. Chris gazed down at the two and let out a tired sounding sigh.

"It's just… been a hard day, kid," he said softly, kneeling down beside the two. "I knew this wouldn't be easy. I knew it wouldn't be… well, it wouldn't be fun. But… when you're not even a person to others…" Chris trailed off, staring out the window for a moment. The rock, Frank, and St. John all weighed on his mind… Sonic had gotten off easily, relatively speaking.

Cream's expression grew concerned. "Were you being bullied?" Chris smirked at her concern and indignation despite himself.

"… Something like that," Chris admitted grudgingly, and Cream held his hand all the tighter for it. Despite how tiny she was, Chris did in fact feel a little better.

"Do you… like Mobians less now?" Cream asked, almost frightfully, her eyes widening slightly. Chris managed to crack a weak smile.

"Cream… I could never hate cute little things like you," Chris said, chuckling as he stood up and looked around the kitchen. "Your mom mentioned possibly teaching me a bit about cooking," he said, eager to get his mind off of earlier events from the day. "Don't suppose you'd be up to giving me a few pointers here and there?"

Cream gave a wide smile. "Oh yes, very much so!" she said with a slight squeal, hopping up to grab Chris by and eagerly tugging him along into the kitchen and looking about with bright eyes. "Oh dear, where to start, where to start…"

"Oh, right, boiling the pasta!" Cream rummaged around in the closets for a pot and a small plastic bag filled with noodles. Chris smiled at her energy, watching her hop around true to her species, getting the water and noodles ready to heat in no time. Time passed as they waited around for the humble, low-tech yet serviceable stove to heat up the water. Cream positively surged with anticipation, clearly never having heard the ancient expression regarding watching pots. Chris, meanwhile, was lost in thought about the drama of the day and wrestled with just letting Cream know and no longer trying to hide things from her… but crying on a little kid's shoulder that was heavy with worry as it was seemed like a poor idea. As the two waited and the water began simmering, the front door creaked and they both heard Vanilla's familiar voice.

"I'm home!" She sounded… oddly jubilant, Chris noted. With some obscure trepidation he didn't entirely understand, he turned to see Vanilla walking cheerfully into the kitchen, an oddly serene and satisfied look on her face matching the proud set of her shoulders as she carried a small bag labeled "TATERS" with all the grace of a triumphant athlete. Chris felt a smile despite himself.

"You really got them!" Vanilla gave a slight nod as if to say 'But of course' and began opening the bag of potatoes and began to explain even as she started peeling.

"Mr. Frank says he's so terribly sorry for being so mistaken when talking to you, and after I…" Her expression grew unnervingly stoic and neutral here, "… 'explained' to him that I would not tolerate such confusion about his stocks where you were concerned, he was just so happy to let me have some potatoes right there!" There was a profound moment of silence interrupted only by the water burbling slightly, now about ready for extra vegetables and condiments. Cream, Chris and Cheese all exchanged a look before Cream piped up.

"Momma?" Cream's innocent face was askew with curiosity.

"Yes, dear?"

"Is Mr. Frank in the hospital now or something?" It took some restraint to prevent a snort on Chris's part. Cheese chao'd as only he could in concern and what Chris thought was some bloodlust.

"Cream! How could you say that?" It was only mock horror, but the surprise was genuine.

"I dunno," Chris joined in, "I for one always get worried when rabbits good with a knife are running around in a rage." Vanilla gave a haughty sniff at this faux attack on her character, even as she finished slicing the last potato with an empress-like flourish.

"Hmph! I would never do anything so crude… Although, I can take care of myself when I must." She turned off the heat and moved the pot as she got a few assorted vegetables and sauces along with a pan, and turned to Chris to explain what the next few steps would be -

And then Cream's ear perked up.

"What's that sound?" she asked aloud, looking around curiously.

"Sound? What sound?" Vanilla asked with a raised brow, Chris wearing a matching expression as he looked over to Cream.

"You KNOW I can't hear as well as you Cream… what's up?"

"I think I hear… crackling?" Cream said, looking around trying to pinpoint the source of the phantom noise. It was then that Vanilla's own ears perked slightly.

"Wait…wait, I hear it too," she said suddenly, standing up from the table and cautiously looking about. Chris looked at Cream and then at Vanilla, still more than a little confused.

"What exactly is it that you hear-?" he asked, and then went stock still when a familiar fragrance reached his nose.

It was smoke.

"Fire!" he yelled aloud, hastily backing away from the table and looking around frantically, now able to see the smoke starting to filter into the house, Cream letting out a frightened squeal and grabbing Cheese close to her, holding him tightly.

"Chris, grab Cream and Cheese and get them out of here!" Vanlla called over to Chris. "I have a fire extinguisher in here, just get them to safety!"

Chris nodded wordlessly and rushed over to Cream and Cheese, lifting them into his arms and rushing out of the kitchen. "Just keep your heads down, everything will be alright," he said down to them in the most assuring voice he could manage. Heading for the door, he easily ducked down and swung it open, rushing forward… and coming to a horrified stop when he saw what was before them.

Both human, Mobian and Chao could not stop themselves from staring forward at the thing… though fortunate that the fire was not within the house, the sight meeting their eyes was nothing short of chilling. A crudely made effigy made primarily from burlap sacks and painted to resemble Chris was before the lawn, tied to a tall thin stick even as it burned to cinders; its poorly painted eyes staring down at the three like some kind of absurd, judgmental deity. At the base of it was a bundle of sticks that served as the fire's source, and strung around the neck of the dummy by a string was a sign bearing a message on it, one that was sickeningly familiar to Chris.

"GO HOME OVERLANDER"

Chris felt his blood go cold, and Cream whimpered and buried her face into his chest as the cruel, parody stand in for Chris continued to burn away, Cheese doing similar as more people began to leave their huts to witness the bonfire. Vanilla rushed out of the house, fire extinguisher in hand, gasping at the sight of the faux-Chris burning in front of her house. Keeping her wits about her, she pointed the extinguisher to the flames and let loose, and within moments the fire was gone… leaving only a charred and blackened dummy to remain. Damningly enough, the sign was just intact enough to legibly broadcast its message. Chris stared at it and the burnt dummy built in his image, transfixed and haunted even as he patted Cream and Cheese's backs in a vain attempt to comfort them, not even noticing as Vanilla walked up to him and sadly set her hand to his arm, her expression matching his own as she gazed at the extinguished pyre.

Chris, lost in the bottom of the well that was depression, would not remember Vanilla taking Cream and Cheese out of his arms. There had been a lot of hardship in his life, but he'd always been able to count on the guy next to him to help out, to give a shoulder to lean on, to stand together. THIS was not something he was at all ready for. Physical hardship and never-ending terror were bearable only when others were nearby for emotional support, or when you were alone to have the weight of responsibility on your shoulders. There was a horrible moment where Chris just wanted to walk, forever, in a random direction until death or fatigue took him. Instead, Chris just stared into his pathetic imitation's eyes as if about to ask it, _what the hell am I doing here?_ The dummy, being a horrible racist parody of him, seemed to answer back, _I don't know. What the hell ARE you doing here?_ His breath came out slowly, almost a never ending series of sighs as depression ate at every brain cell he had. He was dimly aware of someone grabbing his left index finger and shaking furiously. He looked over slowly, Cream's worried face staring back at him. He realized she had been speaking to him.

"… Are you okay?!" Chris knew this was a rhetorical question, and he knew he should smile, shake it off, and put up a brave front. _Fuck that_, he thought.

"I don't know," He said slowly and weakly. He just wanted to sit down, forever. He gently shook his hand free and went indoors, leaving Cream to clasp her hands together nervously with a mournfully worried expression as Cheese patted her in an attempt to cheer her up. "Chao, chao, chao," he added sagely, as if explaining the meaning of life itself. Cream simply nuzzled closer to him.

As Chris went indoors to sit at his spot around the dinner table and stare at it with disturbing intensity, Vanilla had been alerting Knothole's leadership of the problem, walking briskly over to the effigy and pointing at it before finished her summary to Sally, Sonic and Antoine. Geoffrey, whose duties normally included this kind of security violation, was conspicuously absent. Vanilla could not be more displeased with that turn of events and concluded, "… After it was all over, this is where we all were, and we left my guest here – where is he, Cream?" Cream squeaked, surprised, still nuzzling a reassuring Cheese as she responded.

"He – he went inside. He's not hurt or anything, but he seems really… Really…" She teared up, not wanting to think about how Chris sounded like a mortally wounded Pasha instead of his normal self, and settled for hugging Cheese desperately as a response. The Freedom Fighters shuffled awkwardly, more used to happy kids than crying little girls in their own safe haven. Sally, seeing a lot of herself in this scared young girl, knelt down and patted her on the shoulder.

"It'll… it'll be alright Cream. I don't know who was foolish enough to set off a fire in the middle of Knothole, but we take this kind of thing seriously. This person… he won't scare or hurt anyone, I promise. Right, guys?" Her expression asked desperately help from the boys behind her.

"Oui, oui! I promeese you that who is so ever to be doing this will be punish-ed! Such is the promise of Antione!" He clicked his heels together and saluted professionally, despite a near stumble that made Cream giggle despite her emotions.

Sonic, for his part, flashed a thumb up and a wink at the little girl. "Hey, kid, don't even worry about it. With my wits and Sal's smarts, we'll have this guy before you can say 'Chao'!" Cheese chao'd appreciatively at this and crossed his arms sternly before nodding with the grim expression of a thug who is going to throw down with his mortal enemy, clearly not going to take any guff from whoever was behind this.

"Um… what will you start by doing?" asked Cream. Sally winced, knowing they weren't going to like this part.

"Well, we've already let Commander St. John know, and…" She stopped as Cream and Vanilla bristled at this, and changed tack, trying to placate them. "… I know St. John hasn't… made a good impression on anyone lately. But fires are a huge security risk here, and if there's anything St. John does take seriously, it's the safety of everyone in this village." Cream and Vanilla were slightly mollified, but there was the unspoken rejoinder of _except Chris's, of course_, that seemed to be on the tip of Vanilla's tongue.

This was the moment St. John chose to walk out from the shadows from behind Vanilla's house, striding confidently with a neutral expression up to Sally and kneeling, being sure to flex and strain every muscle he had for her appreciation. She ignored it, as always. "Rise and report, Commander," she sighed. He always pulled out all the stops to annoy Sonic when he was around…

"No trace of anyone around, Highness. The suspect could well be anyone in the village. No fur traces or even footprints." Vanilla glared at the back of his head, not quite believing that something this amateurish could leave not one trace of evidence behind. Before she could finish transforming from harmless mother to murderous incarnation of rage, Sally cut him off first.

"I see… and what methods are you using?"

"Smiley and Fleming are examining the surroundings, but whoever it was had most, if not all day to prepare this. It would only take minutes to set up. I wouldn't be expecting much. No special equipment was used, and the materials could have been gathered from just about everywhere."

"Oh, WHAT EVER –!" Sally cut off the indignant Sonic, preventing yet another clash of egos.

"Never the less, someone did come here, prepare this, stencil the message, paint the dummy, and light the blaze. Figure it out, Commander. This is a priority." Geoffrey sniffed at that last bit and objected.

"… With all due respect, Princess, I never swore an oath to defend **the enemies of the King**." Sally glared at him, not impressed with how he had loudly bellowed that last part of the sentence, much to the shock of Vanilla, Cream, and Cheese. Chris, indoors, obviously could hear him, but there was no reaction.

"The Freedom Fighters are determined to protect EVERYONE'S freedom, not just the right species, Commander." Geoffrey winced and saluted before walking off. Sally sighed as Sonic rolled his eyes at his attitude.

"Ugh. The only time I'm happy to see him is when he leaves." Sally gave him a tired smirk and raised an eyebrow at this.

"… So you don't like him around, but you love to watch him leave, do you?" Sonic gave her a flat look that told her exactly what he thought of that idea.

"Ha, Ha, Sal." Cream piped up, still bristling with rage and staring after the long-gone skunk.

"I think… I think that skunk is… a very bad stinky man!" Cream clapped her hands over her mouth as if shocked she should be as crass while Sonic burst out laughing. Vanilla, not quite disagreeing enough to admonish Cream, simply smiled. She suddenly realized she was exhausted and that with all these emotions, she hadn't even eaten.

"Well. I think that'll be all for now, I still have to finish dinner…" She felt suddenly awkward. Was she partly to blame for this? Cooking dinner, eating at the same table and house as an Overlander? Maybe she was being too forward… Sally patted her shoulder, trying to be reassuring.

"Don't worry about it. We'll check in with you when we find anything. And we WILL find something, even if I have to use Nicole to scan every piece of dirt in the village!" Vanilla smiled, glad to hear the reassurance and nodded.

They said hasty good byes, and walked in. Vanilla was surprised to find that Chris had semi-competently managed to add in some vegetables and sauces to the potatoes and noodles, and even managed to figure out how to transfer the casserole into another pan and add some artificial cheese, finishing the meal. He had set the table and food, and was simply waiting. "I just tried to do my best," was all he said when he saw Vanilla's curious look. Vanilla wasn't sure if he meant the food or his attempt to live in peace at Knothole…

Dinner was awkward, to say the least. Vanilla did not comment on how odd the casserole tasted compared to normal, or how the vegetables were arranged out of order than normal, and simply ate and tried ineffectively to ask Cream about her day. There was a brief summary of adventures that boiled down to "I got to meet all the other kids and had apple juice and met Chris again", but the weight of Chris's concern and depression hung over everyone. He hadn't said a word besides his introduction to the dinner, and Vanilla was starting to worry. She tried to start a conversation with him again…

"So… uh… I was surprised when you finished making the dinner without us." Chris looked at her, chewing thoughtfully, before he swallowed and answered.

"It seemed like a good parting gift," he said simply.

"… parting gift?" Chris just stared at her for a second, not quite sure if she was serious or not, and abruptly dropped his fork and stood up as if offended.

"Excuse me, but I'm done, and there's clearly no more time to waste." With that, he got up and headed for his room, muttering under his breath the whole time.

For a moment, Vanilla was wondering if she had offended him somehow, and then the penny dropped about what he was about to do. She stood stock straight, about to run after him before realizing she should say something to Cream and Cheese.

"Cream, honey? Stay here. I have to talk with Chris about all that's happened."

Cream frowned, but acquiesced "Alright, momma," she murmured, hugging Cheese close to her as her mother stood up and followed after Chris. When Vanilla arrived at Chris' door, she saw that he had already gathered up his bag, and was busy packing his few possessions into it. She frowned, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched the human finish up. "Chris… what are you doing?"

"This was a mistake," He said tersely, with no expression on his face. "I'm clearly a danger to you and Cream, and I should move out. I'm going to do that right now. Maybe I can stay in the prison hut. It seems to be the only place big enough for me anyways." Vanilla gasped at the suggestion.

"Out of the question," Vanilla responded bluntly. Chris simply stared with no emotion visible besides a tightened jaw as he hefted the bag's strop over his shoulder.

"Yes, it is. My staying here is not working. I don't think it's going TO work. Obviously, I need to leave."

"No," Vanilla said firmly, meeting his gaze with her own. Chris growled in frustration.

"YES. A fire has been set on your property. The authorities have made it clear they will not help you. Obviously my staying here is illogical and I should leave."

"You heard me the first and second time, Chris, I refuse to let you leave," Vanilla said, steel in her voice as she stood in the doorway, her hands pressed against either both sides of the door frame to brace herself.

Chris just looked with what was almost amusement as the relatively small woman who barely made it to his chest prepared to keep her new guest by force. "Please don't do this." He said, still deadpan.

"Do what?" she challenged even as the human loomed over her.

"Endanger yourself and your children by keeping an unliked, unwanted guest in your home."

"I am perfectly aware of what I'm doing," Vanilla said without missing a beat. "And I won't let you be driven off like this."

"Please move." There was no threat, but the body language suggested force for a split second…

"Or what? You'll make me move? Is that what you'll do?" she demanded, not so much as flinching from her position. Chris stared evenly, stuck with indecision. It was not that he was afraid to use force on a woman; he'd grown up surrounded by soldiers of both sexes and had learnt early on in his life that such assumptions would only cause him grief. However, Vanilla wasn't a soldier, nor a human… even if he did try and force his way out, he risked seriously injuring her. And that was without factoring in the fact he'd be using force on a woman who was technically caring for him, was fighting to keep him… it was an intensely disturbing thought. He shifted uncomfortably, his stoic stance losing some of its confidence. Vanilla sensed weakness in his position and continued.

"You said it yourself that if you run, then it's precisely what whoever did this wants," Vanilla said calmly, keeping her gaze and her tone firm. "And I won't let the person responsible for this get that satisfaction, understand me? I won't ALLOW him that satisfaction."

"Well, I was wrong. It happens." He swallowed emotion, feeling a bubble of emotion come up. "Pride is not worth getting people hurt because of me. I need to lea-"

"No!" Vanilla shouted, glaring up at Chris. It was the first time Chris had ever heard the rabbit raise her voice, and the shock of the sensation caused him to flinch and take a step back, surprised. Vanilla straightened up again as only a noblewoman could, feeling fire and righteous indignation in her veins. "For the last eight years of my life, Cream has meant the world to me. When Pinehaven was attacked and I was separated from her, I very nearly lost my will to live… and then you came in and returned my baby to me," she said with fierce determination in her voice. "Do you know what that's like, to just not want to live? To lose every desire to continue on in life and just wish you could waste away into nothing?" Her voice chocked slightly, and her eyes began to glisten.

Her words hitting home closer than he liked, Chris winced. "Vanilla, I-"

"I was powerless to stop Robotnik from taking my home and family from me, and I was powerless to stop the slavers from stealing me away from my little girl," Vanilla said quietly, looking to the floor for a moment before looking back up at Chris, her face caste in a fierce, determined glare. "Now we are together again here in Knothole, the one place on Mobius that's still meant to be safe…. I won't let my family be bullied, not here, nor anywhere else! And I won't let you isolate yourself just because you think things will be easier for me and Cream if you do!" She gave a small sniff, and wiped at her eyes before meeting Chris' eyes again. "You're a part of this family, Chris… you became a part of it when you went to such lengths to help my daughter. To her you're the best big brother she could ask for… and she'll need you more than ever now, just as you'll need her. Please, Chris… Please, don't leave."

Chris stared down at her with surging emotions as he processed everything she'd just sent his way. As he did, the memories of the burning effigy and the pain of the rock came straight back to his mind, and he waged war with himself trying to think of the right thing to do… he knew that if stayed, Vanilla and Cream would never be safe. He'd bet his life that whoever was responsible for the burning doll was the same person who threw the rock at him earlier. On the other hand, if he left… who was to say that they would be spared? Who was to say this person wouldn't continue to harass them or worse, even without his presence there to present a more obvious target? Chris felt his head hurt, and it had nothing to do with the wound at his temple. He dropped the bag and continued the staredown with Vanilla before lowering his head.

"Alright… I'll stay," he murmured in a small voice. "I'll stay."

Vanilla let out a sigh of relief, and allowed her posture to slacken. "Thank heaven," she said briskly.

"I'm just… I…," Chris groaned, shaking his head. "I don't know what to think anymore…"

"You're not the only one," Vanilla murmured. "That thing… and what it implies… it scares me, Chris. It scares me so much."

"How do you think I feel?" Chris remarked. "But… you're right. Leaving isn't going to make things better, and it was for Cream that came to this village in the first place. We're just gonna have to be careful from here on in, that's all."

"Precisely," Vanilla nodded. "We'll get through this Chris, I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Vanilla," Chris said tiredly. "I've seen far too much to remain optimistic about these sorts of things."

"Momma?" A small voice called out from behind Cream, and Vanilla turned, startled and then calming down upon seeing it was only Cream and Cheese, the both of them looking rather distraught. "We heard yelling… are you and Chris fighting?" she asked in a small, frightened voice. Chris himself wondered how much she had heard, given the power of her ears, but smiled all the same.

"Nah… your mother and I had a conversation. It got a little intense, but… we're fine, Cream. Really," he said. For the second time that day he lied to Cream, and he felt awful for it… neither he nor Vanilla really felt good at all, and he didn't think it would be until many days passed that either of them would feel well again. Vanilla sighed and knelt down to pick Cream and Cheese up into her arms.

"Chris is right, dear," Vanilla said smoothly, giving a smile of her own. "Chris and I may have disagreed on a few things, but we're fine now," she gave Cream a small nuzzle. "And ready for bed… it has been a long day for all of us."

"Amen to that," Chris muttered to himself, while Cheese let out a fortuitous yawn.

"Cheese agrees with you," Cream murmured, looking to Chris. "Will you give me a kiss good night, Chris?" she asked hopefully. Chris chuckled and got up from his bed, walking over to Cream.

"Of course, Cream," he said, leaning his head down and kneeling slightly to kiss Cream atop her head. "Goodnight, Cream."

Cream beamed at the kiss before resting her head on her mother's shoulder. "G'night Chris," she said tiredly, Vanilla smiling gratefully to Chris.

"Goodnight, Chris," the older rabbit said quietly.

"Goodnight, Vanilla," Chris said, just as quiet.

"Things will be alright… you'll see," Vanilla said with a quiet determination, before turning around with Cheese and Cream in tow and exiting Chris' makeshift bedroom, leaving the human alone with his thoughts.

"I hope you're right…" he said aloud to no one in particular, walking over to the door and closing it, walking back to his bed and collapsing atop it. "What a day. What an awful, awful day…" he groaned, staring up at the ceiling and allowing his thoughts to trespass through his mind. Battle lines had been drawn this day, and he had chosen his strategy. Fear was welling up in him, a fear as potent as anything that he had felt back in Genocide City, amidst the throngs of bones and robots and a million ways to perish. Someone in this village wanted him gone, and was bold enough to make two attacks in a single day… who was to say they wouldn't escalate in the coming days? He shuddered to think what might come of that. He wouldn't know what to do if Cream, Cheese or Vanilla were hurt. Or worse… what if they came to resent him for bringing down this retribution upon them? What if they learned to loathe him as much as his attacker did?

Chris slept little that night, and what dreams he did have brought him no solace, no escape from the harsh reality he faced…. Rather, it just shoved it in his face in ways far more deranged than real life would allow, as per usual.

And to think, it had started off as a nice day.


	17. Recovery

**Disclaimer:** Hoo-man this was NOT meant to take as long as it did... real life can be a drag. I'm not ever gonna give up on this, but I can't really promise regular updating or anything like that. That being said, the usual disclaimers apply: I own nothing, SEGA owns everything, yadda yadda yadda, this is a fanfic for entertainment and not profit or anything like that.

**A Difficult Road Traveled**

**Chapter Seventeen: Recovery**

The two weeks that followed after the attack and the incident with the effigy were torture to Chris. Ever since that day he had been growing restless and even a little paranoid. Vanilla and Cream did all they could for him, as did the friends he had made amongst the Freedom Fighters, and though he was grateful for their efforts it was becoming very clear to him that it wasn't going to be enough; he had to get out of Knothole and fast, otherwise he was going to lose his mind.

He'd woken up early today, as he had been doing quite often for the last few weeks; and as it tended to be, he couldn't bring himself to return to sleep, despite tossing and turning and trying several different rest positions. He let out a heavy sigh as he stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom, casually feeling down his side to the newly formed scar that was there, courtesy of a Slicer badnik. In his mind the thing was taunting him; the wound that it had replaced was the one thing keeping him from joining the others out in the field, from allowing him to do his part against robotnik… it was the one thing keeping him from his vengeance. Frowning at that thought he sat up in his bed and quietly as he could manage, made his way out of his room and towards the back of the house, a place that would be reasonably out of Knothole's various villagers.

In the back yard of the house, various crudely made weights were strewn about, welded together from heavy pieces of junk that had been sifted through the junk piles surrounding Rotor's hut. As he approached, he idly recalled the discussion he'd had with Vanilla in order to justify creating this impromptu exercise yard, and some of the interesting details concerning Mobian physiology that had emerged from it.

"_An exercise yard?" Vanilla repeated, as if she hadn't heard him correctly the first time around. "Why would you need one of those?" They were out in the back yard that day, and she had been out tending to her garden when Chris had proposed the minor addition to her home. _

_Chris stared at her in shock. "Because if until I get out in the field? I'm off duty. And if I don't do any physical activity I'll end up getting out of shape?" he offered up carefully. To his amazement, Vanilla looked rather shocked. _

"_You need to exercise THAT often?" she asked, actually staring at him a little. Feeling as though he was missing something critical in this discussion, Chris rubbed at his arm a bit awkwardly. _

"_Well yeah…I do, if I want to keep in shape," he said with a slight murmur. "That ah… isn't normal around here?" he ventured with a slight wince, Vanilla shaking her head in response. _

"_I've never heard of such a thing… mobians need to only exercise every few weeks to keep themselves in shape," Vanilla explained, still sounding bewildered as she stared up at Chris. _

"_Well humans need to… need to do it a lot more often than that," Chris said heavily. "We need to constantly get a bit of exercise and eat healthy if we want to be at a reasonably ideal level of physical fitness. Hence why I need an exercise yard that can suit my needs," he further explained to the rabbit. _

"_Well, if you really need it," Vanilla said, though by her tone it was clear she was still uncertain of the whole idea. "I can easily set aside some space for you." _

"_Thanks, Vanilla," Chris said tiredly, grateful that this discussion was coming to an end, and still embarrassed by his presumption that things would be the same here… as well as more than a little shaken by the reminder that he was still fundamentally different to his newfound neighbors. _

With that memory fresh in mind Chris began with simple stuff, running laps around the area of the yard and mentally keeping track of time even as the sun slowly began to rise. Following that he would do similar light aerobics and cardio work, pushups and sit-ups and any other exercise he could manage without the need for equipment just yet.

With the motions of his exercises focusing his mind as well as his body, he continued to dwell on the events of his time in Knothole thus far. And how a great many of the villages citizenry weren't doing all that much to make him feel welcome.

_He hated the staring. _

_Oh, it was a fact he'd known since the first time he had found himself subjected to the stares of Mobiankind, back in the caverns of the Wolf Pack. But he had hoped that after a while he would have been able to adjust to the sensation, or perhaps, more hopefully, his newfound neighbors would adjust to his presence enough that at the very least they wouldn't gawk at him as if he were a wild animal. _

_He was discovering that expecting either outcome was wishful thinking at best and delusion at worst._

_Cream was leading him through the town, Cheese floating by her side as usual. She wanted him to meet someone new; a woman called 'Rosie', who was apparently the caretaker for Knothole's orphaned children. Chris had his reservations about the idea, and yet he simply couldn't resist a plea from the young rabbit. And so he was off, exposing himself to the stares and whispers of the village while walking on pins and needles, desperately trying not to flinch or overreact to every sudden noise or movement that he managed to catch. Cream for her part, perceptive as ever, seemed to hurry him through, realizing his discomfort with the situation. Soon enough the three were brought before Rosie and a trio of orphans, a tiger, a bear, and a cat; Snaggle, Rory and Sasha. _

_He felt like an animal in a zoo. _

_Rosie was polite enough, the silvery haired woodchuck giving a formal curtsey as she introduced herself, and her three charges. They stared up at him, and the tiger, Snaggle, even stepped back slightly, hiding behind an uncertain looking Rory, while Sasha stood her ground, though it looked like she wanted to bolt. Cream stepped forward, still smiling genially as she introduced Chris. _

"_There's no reason to be afraid; this is my friend, Chris," the young rabbit said, stepping aside to fully introduce Chris. "He helped bring me here to Knothole and to my mommy," she elaborated. Realizing how imposing his height would seem to the young Mobians, Chris got down on one knee and smiled as gently as he could manage. _

"_Hello there, kids," he said, trying not to wince as he saw Snaggle flinch. Sasha swallowed, and slowly approached him, still not saying anything as she stared up at him. _

"_You're big," she said suddenly, though her tone was a bit flat. Chris allowed himself a small chuckle. _

"_To you perhaps, but for a human I'm a bit on the short side," he said. The bear cub, Rory, now stepped forward, Snaggle trailing after him with a squeak. _

"_So… you're a human?" Rory asked cautiously. _

"_Last time I checked, yes," Chris said with a nod, giving the cub a curious glance. "Why?"_

"You don't look like an egg," Rory said blithely. Chris felt like he'd been punched in the gut, but he managed to maintain his smile all the same. Rosie stepped forward with a cross look on her face.

"_Rory!" she said with a scolding tone, wagging her finger at the young bear as he cringed back. "That's a very impolite thing to say to Chris-!"_

"Rory," Chris said suddenly, cutting off Rosie before she could continue her righteous tirade. Rory looked up at him almost fearfully. "Do all bears look like you?"

"_Wha…?" _

"_Do all bears look as you do?" Chris said patiently. "Do they have the same fur color? The same eye color? The same shape?" _

"_Well, no," Rory confessed. Even his young mind could process what Chris was getting at, and he looked down, somewhat ashamed. "Some are grizzlies and some are brown and some from the Dragon Kingdom are all black and white…" _

"_It's the same deal with humans, Rory," Chris explained. "Come on now, look up at me when I talk to you," he asked gently, and the boy did as he was told, while Snaggle began to creep out from the side. "All humans are different looking. Some are fat, some are thin, some have light skin, others dark, and that's not even getting started on things like hair and eyes… we're a very diverse lot. If we all looked like… well, you know, then we'd be very unfortunate," he cracked a small smile. "He's really very hideous by human standards." _

"_Chris is nothing like Robotnik," Cream piped up, stepping forward on her friend's behalf, Cheese right behind her. _

"_Chao!" _

"_He's smart, and strong, and brave!" Cream continued. "He built his own ship and flew it here all the way from Overland, and when we were attacked by a robot he saved us!" _

"_Did you really?" Sasha asked with wide eyes, and now Snaggle was choosing to approach. _

"_Well, Cream leaves out a few details, but yes," Chris said with a nod. "I was able to build a ship and fly out from my homeland to here, and even managed to take down a Stealth Bot along the way," he said, his smile widening as the three began to open up to him. _

"_What… what was your home like?" Snaggle spoke at last. Chris let out a sigh, but as per usual pushed aside the more unpleasant memories of home to try and recall what life had been like BEFORE the machines had come._

"_Mostly cities," Chris said. "Not a cities like Robotropolis though, these were places where people could live and do things… living in a forest is strange to me, but I'm getting used to it." _

"_Oh," Snaggle said simply. "Your home was like Mobotropolis? The grownups keep telling me Mobotropolis was a good city before it got turned bad, but I never saw it before…" _

"_Heh, yeah, pretty much," Chris smiled. It wasn't the whole truth, the aesthetics of his home city being vastly different to that of Mobotropolis', but there was no need to elaborate for the child. "I'm not all *that* different from you or anyone else in this village, despite what you may have been told." _

"_Huddle!" Sasha proclaimed suddenly, dragging Snaggle back by the scruff of his vest while Rory walked alongside Sasha, the three huddling up as ordered, sneaking peaks over at Cream and Chris. One of Cream's ears perked as she tried to listen in, and Cheese even attempted hover in closer to eavesdrop, diving out of sight when he three turned to face Chris. "Okay, we've talked about it and decided… you're okay," Sasha admitted before smiling. "Welcome to Knothole!" _

"_Thank you kindly, Sasha," Chris said, smiling and nodding, allowing himself to become less tense as relief washed over him like a cleansing solution. "I hope to enjoy my stay." _

_From there the three would insist on playing with him, and Chris cheerfully indulged, allowing them to use him like a living jungle gym until the time came for him to leave, much to their disappointment. Saying their goodbyes, Cream and Chris and Cheese would head away, and for a moment Chris felt his spirits lifted to such a degree that he could ignore the expected barrage of stares and whispers. _

_And then he heard an exchange, lasting only a few moments, but enough to bring him crashing down from his good mood. _

"_-the heck is that kit thinking introducing that thing to Rosie's kids?" _

"_Dunno. Maybe they're in cahoots and the hairless got tired of eatin' a rabbit's diet; sizin' em up for later, ya know?" _

_Amused chortles followed, and Chris felt his blood run cold. Cream, likely having heard this, gripped his hand tighter and picked up the pace, but that did little to alleviate what they'd heard. _

Chris growled a little, honestly growled, as he recalled the words and the assumption held within them. He was now performing _kata_, recalling the careful choreography of Tanaka's training and the mantras that went with them… unfortunately, those same mantras were doing little to assuage the anger boiling in him right now, and if his long-dead butler had been present to witness his current display he would have happily beaten his young ward into the ground for such a disgraceful butchering of the movements. To a casual observer they might seem impressive, but to anyone with any knowledge of Overland's martial arts would see that Chris' anger was making him sloppy. Not helping matters was that Chris was picturing targets at the end of his fists and feet; Mobians, generated at random by his imagination, flying and breaking at his strikes, serving as a phantom outlet for his pent up aggressions.

Even if he weren't so focused on his anger, Chris wouldn't have been likely to notice that he had an observer at the moment. Vanilla, still in her nightgown, had chanced upon the image of Chris doing his exercises, just in time to see his anger take hold and his training veer into the realm of vengeful fantasy. She let out a heavy, sad sigh at the sight; she knew all too well how much life in the village was straining on him, despite how hard he was trying to be a part of it. It was heartbreaking for her, both because she found herself helpless to aid her friend, and because it seemed that despite his best efforts and despite having done nothing to justify it, her own people seemed dead-set on thinking the very worst of him. While she knew he had made friends outside of her own family, by and large the rest of the village didn't seem to be warming up to him. And despite her own efforts to try and convince her new neighbors of his good intentions, nothing seemed to stick.

It was… _deeply_ frustrating, to put it gently. She shook her head slightly, realizing she was going to work herself into a lather if she kept this up; she had to focus her attentions on something else, ANYTHING else.

Her eyes became drawn to Chris. Despite the time he had spent in her home and around her, she had never really had much of a chance to study him. Before meeting him, the only humans she'd ever seen had been in books and in film (including interviews with Warlord Julian before his treachery). She'd never actually had a chance to really see one in the flesh, and before now she'd never had the opportunity to really observe Chris. Despite herself she couldn't help but notice what was different about him; how long his limbs were and how small his eyes seemed in comparison to most Mobian's, and how utterly odd his flesh looked. It wasn't even so much that he was without fur; she'd seen plenty of reptilian Mobians and thought nothing of their hairlessness, but Chris was a mammal like her and yet he lacked a pelt entirely, save for the hair atop his head. And that was without getting into the odd way his face was structured, especially his nose! It was a little disconcerting to witness, but fascinating all the same.

Particularly the way his lack of a pelt did little to obscure his physique; with most Mobians, fur did an excellent job of obscuring the lines and contours formed by muscles, but this was not so with Chris. His bare flesh allowed a full view of his body, every movement of that lithe body visible to the naked eye, every simple motion unhidden and laid bare. Vanilla wasn't an expert on the intricacies of Mobian physiology, but she knew enough about enough Mobian variants to know of the subtle differences between Mobian breeds; Chris most reminded her of a few primates she had seen, but even with that to base off of Chris seemed undeniably different in a way she couldn't define. It was an odd mixture of the familiar and the unfamiliar contained in his body, and soon she found she was staring at him, staring at the way his body moved as he worked himself into a fine sweat.

She felt her face flush slightly, and she tore her gaze away in embarrassment and shame. What was she doing, staring at him as if he were some exhibit in a freak show? Was she really no better than those gawkers out in the town square? She let out a heavy, shuddering breath, shaking her head as she started to head away from the window, and nearly started when she witnessed her daughter and Cheese walking into the kitchen, Cream with a hand to her eye as she rubbed the sleep away and Cheese yawning.

"Mornin' momma," Cream murmured out, still in her pajamas as she trotted on over to her mother, Cheese hovering right by her side.

"Good morning, Cream," Vanilla said in a subdued tone as she turned to face her daughter, looking down curiously at the two. "You two are up earlier than normal," she noted idly.

"Guess we didn't need to sleep too much," Cream said with a shrug as she looked to the window. "Whatcha looking at?" she asked innocently, trotting over and getting on her tip toes to see what Vanilla had seen.

"Just Chris," Vanilla said sadly.

Cream was silent for a moment before looking up to her mother with a worried look. "He's not very happy, is he?"

"He's just very frustrated, sweetie," Vanilla said soothingly, kneeling down beside her daughter. "Living here is… difficult for him, and he's trying very hard to fit in-"

"But nobody wants to give him a chance," Cream said with a sullen frown.

"Now Cream, that isn't true," Vanilla countered gently. "He has friends with the Freedom Fighters, after all."

"Yeah, but nobody else seems to want to be friends with him," Cream countered. "I hear them talk about him all the time, saying bad things about him… just because he's a human," she huffed, staring down at the floor before looking up at her mother. "What does that even matter, anyway?" she demanded. "What makes a human so different from a Mobian?"

Cheese would look up at Vanilla as well, a quiet, curious look upon his face.

Vanilla felt herself at a loss, and paused as she contemplated how best to answer… largely because she couldn't think of any particularly concrete reasons herself. "It… largely has to do with history," she said calmly, carefully. "I don't know how it started and I'm not entirely sure why; all I can tell you is that the bad blood runs deep between our peoples, and… and few Mobians have ever really bothered to know or understand humans to begin with, and vice versa," she admitted. "None of those are good explanations, but they're the best I can come up with… and it's why he's going to need the both of us if he's going to have any hope of staying in this village," he tone and expression became determined. "We MUST remind him that even if it's difficult, it's not impossible for him to co-exist with others like us. Understand me, Cream?"

"Yes momma," Cream murmured obediently, giving a curt nod.

"Chao chao!"

"Good girl," Vanilla said with a smile, pulling her daughter close and giving her a light peck on the head. "Well, since you're up and all, you might as well make your bed, get cleaned and get dressed."

"Aw momma…"

"No complaints little lady," Vanilla chuckled as she stood up. "I'll do the same when you're finished, and then I'll prepare breakfast, alright?"

"Alright…"

"That includes you too, Cheese."

"Chao…"

By the time Chris finished with his exercises, the rabbit family and Cheese were already at the dinner table, Cream and Cheese enjoying some toast and jam while Vanilla sipped at tea, all those present dressed and cleaned for the day. Chris blinked in slight surprise as he entered, looking from Cream to Vanilla and back again before speaking. "Uh… good morning all," he said as he headed for his chair, still looking about curiously. "Don't suppose anybody would care to tell me the time?"

"It's about eight thirty or so," Vanilla replied with a polite smile, prompting a groan from Chris.

"Aw crud, I really lost track of things out there," he muttered to himself as he sat down. "Don't suppose you've got any of that toast left?"

"We have blueberry, strawberry and cherry jam," Vanilla said cheerfully, getting up from her seat and heading back over to the stove. "And how many slices would you like?"

"Two please, with strawberry jam," Chris said with a nod. "And thank you, Vanilla."

"What are you going to do today, Chris?" Cream asked after finishing up her own slice.

"Computer work mostly," Chris said with a casual little shrug. "According to Rotor some of the other computers here in the village have been acting up, and it isn't a problem with programming or anything like that, and since he's busy building stuff, I'm going to be the one to fix up the computers with Princess Sally."

Cream gave a bright smile. "It must be so exciting to work directly with the princess."

"I think Sally would argue otherwise," Chris said, giving a small smile as he accepted a plate of toast, nodding his thanks to Vanilla as she resumed her seat. "Really, it's just us fixing up a few old computers, nothing fancy or anything like that."

"You're still helping the village and the Freedom Fighters, Chris," Vanilla pointed out gently, supping from her tea. "Even if it's not particularly glamorous, I would find it rather exciting in its own way."

"I… suppose," Chris conceded, trying his hardest to not betray his own doubts at Vanilla's particular take on the importance of his duties. Personally, he would have rather been out in the field actually fighting Robotnik proper rather than simply sitting around fixing things. The thought of fighting Robotnik did however cause him to recall a detail for the day that kept it brighter for him, and he smiled. "Oh! I'm also getting a checkup from Doctor Quack today, at his request."

"Really now?" Vanilla asked, quirking a brow. Chris nodded eagerly.

"Yep; according to him I should be just about all healed up… if he's right, then that means I get to head out into the field at long last," he said with a grin, though that grin faltered at the less than enthused expressions on the faces of the two rabbits and chao. An awkward silence hung in the air, and Chris coughed slightly. "Erm, something wrong?"

"Won't it be dangerous?" Cream asked in a small voice, prompting Chris to give an aggravated groan.

"Cream, we've discussed this; I've been fighting Robotnik for years and I don't intend to quit anytime soon," he said in a solemn voice. "I know you're worried, but it's something I have to do, for you, your mother, Cheese, and for everyone else on Mobius; got it?"

"Yes Chris," Cream sighed out, poking at her food dejectedly. Chris glanced at her, frowning softly before reaching over to nudge her chin with his hand.

"Chin up, Cream, I'll be careful," he said in an encouraging voice, putting on a bright smile. "I've been doing this for years and I haven't died yet. If I go out in the field again, I'll be coming back to you and Vanilla, you'll see."

Cream gazed up at him, her eyes uncertain. "You promise?"

"…" Chris looked to her, then to Vanilla, silently begging for help. Vanilla stared back at him calmly, giving a silent nod of approval. With that verification Chris looked back to Cream. "Yeah… I promise," he said, even as he detested himself for lying to the girl, even as her expression brightened, though Cheese seemed to be giving him a suspicious glare. Wilting slightly under the Chao's furious stare, Chris self-consciously finished off his toast before stepping away from the table. "Well, glad as I am to have had this conversation, Antoine will be showing up soon and I really, really need a shower. Gotta go!" he said, picking up his plate and hastily depositing in the sink before heading out for the bathroom.

Shortly after he cleaned off, Antoine arrived on time as usual, and the Mercian coyote would escort Chris through the village to the command hut. "Now, as you are to be working with ze princess, you are to be giving her ze one-hundred and one percent effort, am I being clear?" the officious canine said as he marched before a less than impressed Chris… try as he might, Chris had difficulty taking Antoine seriously when he was like this, though it seemed he wasn't alone in that regard.

"I've been here for weeks, Antoine. When have I not given my best effort?" he asked with a slight chuckle.

"Zhat was before! You are now working directly alongside ze princess, thus, more iz to be expecting," Antoine said brusquely, his terminology causing an immature snicker to escape Chris as the absurd image of a pregnant Antoine entered his imagination. The dandy looked over his shoulder at the human, raising a brow at the human. "And what iz being so funny?" he asked with a sardonic drawl.

"You don't wanna know. Trust me," Chris said idly as they arrived at the Command Hut. At that very moment a familiar pair stepped out, one half of which immediately caused Chris to tense up; it was Sally, with Sonic in tow, the two of them chatting it up as they exited. Chris didn't even bother listening in to their conversation, stoically tuning out the hedgehog and the princess as they resumed their conversation. With a kiss to her cheek the blue hedgehog soon sped away to do things Chris couldn't honestly have cared about. He let his hostility diminish once they were before the princess, nodding politely to the royal. "Alright Sal, I'm here; what's the damage?" he asked.

"Come in and I'll show you," Sally said, waving him along. "I can take it from here, Antoine," she said politely to the royal guard.

"Are you being certain my princess? Ze last few weeks I have overseen him," Antoine said, looking a bit concerned.

"I'll miss you too, Antoine," Chris drawled out, prompting a small snicker from the princess.

"Yes, and you've done a wonderful job," she said, causing Antoine to brighten immensely. "And in those two weeks he's done nothing wrong; I think he's more than proven that he can be trusted to travel without you constantly hovering around him."

_Finally, _Chris thought to himself. It wasn't that he had anything against Antoine, far from it, but constantly being monitored and followed around by the coyote would wear down on anyone after a while. Antoine for his part gave a small salute and a determined nod.

"It eez being so, zhen; au revoir!" he announced in that typically dramatic fashion of his, turning on heel and marching away. Chris looked down to Sally questioningly.

"So, am I really off the hook then?"

"Yes," Sally said with a slight nod. "As I said, by this point you've more than proven your trustworthiness, particularly in light of… certain incidents," Sally's voice took on a slightly embarrassed murmur. "Given what you have been through, I think it inappropriate to maintain the air of utter suspicion."

Chris gave a grateful nod. "Thank you, Sally," he said. "Now if you could show me to the computers?"

"Right this way," Sally waved him over, leading him into the command hut and into one of the back rooms, where several computers were resting… several rather old computers, Chris noted. "As with everything else we've had to make do with what we could, but a lot of our equipment is either patchwork or getting on in years. As of the last few days these computers have been malfunctioning, and it has me concerned," she looked up to him now. "These computers are necessary for holding information and plans that NICOLE can't, and are needed to prevent her from becoming overburdened with data-plans."

Chris raised a brow. "NICOLE… is that what your handheld is called?" he asked, wondering what to make of the fact that the princess had seen fit to name her tool… and to determine that it had a gender.

Sally let out a small, nervous chuckle. "Erm, yes… I realize how that must sound, but NICOLE is more than a handheld computer."

"How so?" Chris asked a bit warily. Was it a full blown AI…?

"You'll just have to trust me on this, Chris," Sally said with a slight shake of her head, walking over to a set of delicate tools. "Now then, here's what we'll be working with… I realize it's not exactly top of the line, but then we don't have many options."

"They'll do just fine, Sally," Chris said as he took a screwdriver and a few other things, heading over for a small group of computers. "I'll handle this batch if that's alright with you," he sat down crosslegged, sparing the nearby chair the burden of having to carry his weight. Using the screwdriver he opened up one of the computers, frowning slightly as he observed the insides of the comp. "I think this one will need replacement parts, as will the others if they're anything like it."

"That was my worry," Sally said with a shake of her head as she got to work on her own computer. "However, I want to try and salvage them before attempting a supply run into Robotropolis, so do what you can."

"Understood," And with that, Chris set to work trying to repair the machines before him… while it seemed age was the primary problem, as time went on he seemed to be making some leeway in the repairs as he re-set parts and wires and carefully worked on touching up the CPUs of the computers. Silence hung in the air, and once the task became little more than monotony, Chris' mind did as it tended to do in such situations and drifted away from the immediate moment.

Despite himself he found his mind drifting back to memories of the past week, and thanks to having seen him recently, memories of Sonic. He glowered slightly as he worked, unable to prevent the negative feelings or memories from flowing back to him. Particularly of one instance that had occurred mere days ago…

_He was watching the return of the Freedom Fighters from their raid into Robotropolis, hanging in the back behind the crowd that had gathered and keeping himself firmly situated under a tree, almost hidden by the shade. So long as their attention was on the returning Freedom Fighters and not him, he would be content. He smiled slightly to see Bunnie and Rotor head back, relieved to see that they were alive and well, and eager to hear of their exploits within the city… and then Sonic showed up, and the crowd went utterly wild. Chris had only vague memories of things like concerts and had never been to one himself, but he could recall as a young child asking his parents why the people on the television were going crazy, and the scene before him played out much the same way. He scowled a bit to see that Sonic was practically soaking it up, waving to the crowd and high-fiving anyone who got close enough to do so. _

_The display was sickening to Chris, and he was thankful to see Bunnie and Rotor had extracted themselves from the Mobian mass. Walking up to them with a smile, he waved towards them. "Bunnie, Rotor!" he called out as he approached the two. "I take it things went well?" _

_Rotor nodded vigorously. "Sure did!" he proclaimed while Bunnie gave a wide grin. _

"_Ol eggbelly ain't gonna be a happy fella for the next few days," she said, smirking some. "Not that Ah think he's a happy sorta gent anyway." _

_Chris chuckled. "Heh, understood. I confess, I'm more than a little bit envious of you two though, being able to go into the city and actually do something meaningful against Robotnik," he said wistfully. Rotor shot him a sympathetic look. _

"_Ah, don't worry about it Chris, soon enough you'll be healed up and then-" Rotor was interrupted by another round of applause from the crowd, causing Chris to once more glower at it… and more specifically at the hedgehog who seemed to be soaking up the applause like a sponge. _

"_They're aware that you two were on that mission too, right?" he asked aloud. "They're aware that it wasn't just him, aren't they?" _

"_Aw sug, don't pay it no mind," Bunnie said with a dismissive wave of her organic hand. "Suga-hog's just given 'em a show. 'Sides, he's a symbol a' hope to a lot th' villagers, it helps keep morale up if he showboats a little." _

_Chris was not impressed. "That so?" he asked flatly. _

_Rotor glanced about nervously, not liking the human's tone. "Well, yeah… he's done the most solo missions and caused a lot of damage to Robotnik's operations, not to mention personally saved loads of people… it's only natural that he'd be as popular as he is," he said, hoping to placate his friend. _

_Chris for his part glanced back up to Sonic before looking down to the two. There was so much he wanted to say, so much he wanted to point out about how unjust this entire situation was, but really, nothing he said was going change their minds about this. Instead he sighed and simply said "I see," in a low voice. "Very well then, if it's for the good of the community I won't make a fuss about him being treated as if he were the sole cause for the day's victory," he said somewhat stiffly, before looking about. "In any case, I've spent too long here; Antoine will be expecting me back at Vanilla's. I will hopefully see the both of you later." _

_Without giving either much chance to respond he turned on heel and headed off, still stewing over the scene he'd witnessed and what he had been told. Was that to be his fate then, when the time came for him to join the others? To be pushed aside and ignored in favor of that blue showoff? It made him feel physically ill, to think that any contribution he might make could be so overshadowed by the hedgehog. _

_As per usual he knew he wasn't being fair. But he simply couldn't bring himself to care. _

"CHRIS!"

Chris went stock still, eyes widened slightly when he realized that Sally had been trying to get his attention. Turning his head to face her, he could see she had her hands on her hips and her brow raised in incredulity. "I said I'm done with my batch… how about you?" she asked, sounding a bit wary.

"Oh, ah, yeah, I'm done here as well," Chris nodded as he hastily sealed up the last computer he was working on, trying to mask his embarrassment. "If these repairs work then you might be able to use these for a few more weeks, but we really need to get spare parts," he said as he stood up, looming over her and causing her to back off away from him.

"Thank you for your input, Chris," Sally said with a nod, though something about her demeanor caused Chris to wonder. There was some kind of subtle shift that he was having difficulty in making out, and he nodded slowly to her.

"Ah, anytime, Sally…" he said slowly, staring back at her. "Is something the matter?" he asked, deciding to be direct. For a moment Sally held a look on her face, the kind that people had when they were debating with themselves. Suddenly, it dawned on Chris as to what might be causing this little shift in behavior, and he slumped slightly. "It's me, isn't it," he didn't so much ask a question as much as he stated a fact

Sally's eyes cast low in shame. "… yes," she said, taking in a calming breath before looking back up at him. "You've done a great deal for this village even in the face of what some of them have put you through, to say nothing of what you've done for Vanilla and Cream…"

"But…?" Chris asked expectantly.

"It's still… very difficult for me to entirely come to terms with you, with having you here in the village knowing the bad blood between our people, and knowing what my family has cost you," she said, her tone becoming firm and her stance growing more confident. "I suppose when it boils down to it, I'm just so used to thinking of humans as the natural enemy of my people that it is still difficult for me to reconcile the reality you present with the understanding of the world as it was taught to me," then she faltered, and her head lowered. "And… please, please do not take this as it might sound, but the memory of what my father's mercy to Robotnik wrought makes this entire situation too eerie for words."

Chris scowled slightly at the revelation, feeling his temper rise at the mention of the hated Robotnik before releasing a sigh, rubbing the back of his head as he spoke. "Yeah, well, it isn't exactly a picnic for me either you know," he said. "Living here, among Mobians, totally at their mercy… and then there's you yourself; whatever kind of person you are, at the end of the day you're still the daughter of a man I owe a great deal of misery too," he continued, noting her wince as he brought up her father. "Whatever it's worth, this is every bit as awkward for me as it is for you."

"I just… expect better from myself," Sally said, looking down in shame. "You can tell yourself as much as you like to think about the kind of person you are, but it's only when you're tested that you can really determine that fact. And frankly, I… I don't particularly enjoy my inability to get over the fact that you are a human. It's a deeply unworthy sentiment to hold…"

Chris gazed down at her, not entirely certain how to feel. He wanted to be offended and angry with her and to scream at her that he'd been nothing but helpful and peaceful since his arrival here, despite numerous attempts to provoke him into violence. But… her tone… her words… she was being honest with him, rather than trying to pass off her discomfort as if it were nothing, or worse, treating him with the same kind of naked contempt and aggression that the others in the village did… to say nothing of the fact that his own feelings towards the hedgehog would make any indignation of his horrendously hypocritical in this situation.

"Yeah well… nobody's perfect," Chris said, suddenly feeling very tired. "I can't say I'm entirely happy owing my continued existence to my people's worst enemy after Robotnik, but there's little use dwelling on it. So, I'll make you a deal… you try and get over my being human, and I'll try and get over you being King Acorn's daughter," he said, kneeling down and offering his hand to her. "Consider this a promise; that I won't be anything like you expect me to be, and I won't make any similar presumptions about you."

Sally looked to the hand offered, and up to Chris, who was now wearing a smile that was trying to be inviting. Idly, she dwelled on how easy it would have been for him to kill her at this given moment. He was easily three times stronger than she, and it would only take him an instant to shatter any part of her body if he so wanted. A very primal kind of fear, the sort felt by prey animals around their primary predator caused a shudder to run up her spine before she suppressed it and reached forward, returning an uncertain smile as her hand was enveloped by his larger, hairless one, and they shook. "It's a deal, Chris."

"Alright then," Chris said as he stood up. "Well, as my part here is done, I think I'll head out now that I'm allowed to travel at all hours without Antoine. I need to discuss a few things with Doctor Quack concerning my wound."

"Understood, and good luck," Sally said with a nod as Chris headed out. "Your skills will be greatly appreciated out in the field."

"Be nice if they were appreciated SOMEWHERE around here," Chris drawled out as he looked back to the princess. "With a bit of luck though, we'll both soon see. Goodbye, Sally."

"Goodbye, Chris."

And with that, Chris would leave and make way for the Medical Hut. Elsewhere in the village, another individual was voicing his concerns about the local human inhabitant… though this one was a far more blue persuasion than the princess.

"I'm tellin' ya, he's out to get me!"

Sonic was at Rotor's workshop alongside Bunnie, having invited himself in during one of Bunnie's check-ups. They'd made small talk, and somewhere along the way Chris had come up, and Knothole's champion now had a chance to make known a few pent up feelings.

"Aw come on Sonic, you're overreacting," Rotor said as he made an adjustment on Bunnie's leg, not looking to the hedgehog as he concentrated at the task at hand. Sonic for his part just snorted, pacing around impatiently.

"Am I? You shoulda seen the look the guy gave him when Ant brought him over to Sal! He looked like he wanted to pop me one right between the eyes! And this ain't the first time," he continued in an almost paranoid tone. "Ever since he's gotten here he's acted like I've done somethin' to him. I've tried talkin' to him, but every time I try he just gets hostile, and even when I ain't talkin' to him I can *feel* him glaring at me… I'm getting' close to the end of my rope, guys!"

"How does he get hostile, sug?" Bunnie asked curiously. "In mah experience he ain't been nothin' but gentlemanly."

"I dunno, Bunnie," Sonic said in exasperation. "It's like every time I try and talk to him, he finds a reason to get offended or somethin'… maybe he just has somethin' against hedgehogs?"

"Sonic," Rotor began flatly. "I don't think there's a human alive outside of Robotnik who hates hedgehogs over any other kind of Mobian out there."

"Besides, Cream tells me he's perfectly nice around Amy," Bunnie spoke up, Rotor now standing to observe and work on her arm. "She's closer to 'im than anyone else in th' village…" she said, her voice trailing off as a thoughtful expression came over her face. "Ya know, maybe I could ask her if she knows why Chris' is so ornery around ya, suga-hog. She IS mah cousin after all."

Sonic stopped in his tracks and grinned, snapping his fingers. "Aw man, that's brilliant Bunnie! Seriously, you're a lifesaver… I don't know how much longer I can take the guy actin' like I tap danced on his grandma's grave or somethin'," the hedgehog admitted as he scratched the back of his spiny head. "I'm tryin' to be civil and he hasn't actually DONE anything, but I'd at least like to know what I *did* to get him on my case. Gimme a sense of closure, ya know?"

"We got you, Sonic," Rotor said with a chuckle. "Kinda hard not to under the circumstances," he noted wryly before backing away from Bunnie. "Okay then, Bunnie, you're all clear," he said with a nod.

"Thanks Suga-Rote," Bunnie said with a grin as she moved her metallic limbs about, testing them a bit before heading to the door. "And don't you worry none, Sonic, I'll get Cream to tell me what's up if anythin'… but I'm tellin' you, sug, Chris ain't a bad guy."

Rotor nodded in agreement. "He let Antoine off the hook for accidentally comparing him to Robotnik. I think you just haven't gotten to know him."

"I hope you guys are right," Sonic said. "I really, _really _hope you're right."

Back at the Rabbeau household, Vanilla was peacefully doing a bit of crochet work, largely to occupy her mind while Cream and Cheese were out playing with Amy Rose. It helped to keep her at peace when she was alone, and to drown out the memories of the period in which she had been separated from her children. Vanilla's peace and quiet was very suddenly disrupted by the sound of the door swinging open and a loud, joyous call echoing throughout the house.

"Honey, I'm home!"

Vanilla blinked at the odd proclamation, looking over the back of her chair to see that Chris had indeed returned, and was wearing a rather sizable smile upon his face as he walked into the house… was he _skipping_? Wondering at what could have put Chris into such a good mood, she set aside her Crochet work and stood up to greet him, smiling politely. "Hello, Chris," she said. "You're back earlier than I expected."

"Heh, it's a good day Vanilla, a really wonderful day," the human said with a wide grin as he continued to practically dance his way over to the kitchen, not even looking as he picked out a cup from the cupboard and pulled out a jug of lemonade from the fridge, pouring himself a full glass of the stuff, still dancing around slightly as he moved. "Not only am I finally allowed to go anywhere at any time without Antoine hovering around, but guess what?"

Vanilla frowned slightly, dreading the answer. "What…?"

"I just got back from Doctor Quack; he says my wound is fully healed! I'm gonna finally get a chance to fight out in the field!" he exclaimed jubilantly, taking a swig of lemonade as he sat himself down at the dinner table, leaning back with a satisfied smile… the smile faltered when he saw that Vanilla was less than enthused by the revelation. "Okay… what's wrong, Vanilla," he asked with in slightly aggravated tone, sitting straight up and looking her in the eye.

"Chris, I *am* happy for you, but I'm also worried," Vanilla said, taking a seat opposite at him. "I understand that Robotnik took a lot from you, and I can understand being eager to pay him back, but this… this _obsession_ of yours is frightening."

Chris let out a slight groan. "Not this again. Vanilla, I know how this sounds, but can't you just be happy for me? I've been waiting over a year for this chance, and now it's within my grasp. I'm sorry if this makes me sound desperate, but I can't help but be excited now that I'm finally going to get my chance."

"And I understand that," Vanilla said patiently. "But when you get like this it… it's hard to deal with. Especially for Cream; do you think she enjoys hearing about you casually discussing entering a place where so many have been killed and enslaved? It scares her, Chris."

Chris took another sip of his drink and set it aside, looking her straight in the eye as he spoke. "I'm not trying to scare her, Vanilla, it's just… do you know what these last few weeks have been like for me?" His tone now softened. "Every day I've had to deal with staring, and whispers, and insults, and while nothing like the thing with that effigy has happened again, it's wearing down on me. I'm starting to feel angry a lot more than usual, Vanilla, angry because I can't really do anything to fight back against all this… I hate feeling so damn helpless," he admitted, lowering his head. "And that worries me. It makes me scared that if I don't get out of the village soon and find a way to vent it all, that I'm going to do something really, really regrettable. Like one day I'm gonna snap, and once I start I won't be able to stop…" he looked back up to her sadly.

"Oh Chris," Vanilla said almost mournfully as she stood up from her seat and moved to his side, laying a hand to his shoulder, hoping to give a bit of comfort. "I really had no idea that things were getting *this* bad for you… if you want to talk more about then feel free to do so. Bottling things up like this just isn't healthy."

"I don't want to burden you any more than I already have," Chris murmured.

"Chris, telling me your problems isn't burdening me," Vanilla said in a firm tone. "Keeping everything to yourself and letting it fester like this, THAT is burdensome. Please, from here on in promise me that if you're ever starting to feel this way that you'll talk to me. Even if you don't believe it yourself, talking can do wonders for this sort of thing."

Chris gave a small shrug. "I don't see why. Now that I'm heading out I'll finally have something to direct my anger towards, so hopefully- aw crap!" he suddenly swore. He'd been reaching for his glass and had managed to knock it over and onto the floor, though thankfully it didn't shatter even as it spilled the remnants of its contents. "Ugh, I'm sorry Vanilla," he murmured as he shifted away from her, leaning down to pick up the glass. "Cripes, I'm such a butterfingers…"

"Oh no, let me," Vanilla said, moving quickly to the do the same, her hand reaching the glass moments before Chris' own did. His hand covered hers, and both went stock still for a moment, staring at each other in slight shock. The awkwardness of the situation proved too great for Chris, who lifted his hand away, embarrassment etched on his face as he backed away hastily.

"I'll go get a rag," he said quickly, leaving the table and quickly fetching a cloth while Vanilla stoically headed for the sink to rinse out the glass, Chris kneeling down and scrubbing furiously. "Hope this doesn't stain," he murmured as he tried to get all the moisture out of the rug.

Vanilla gave a small, amused giggle. "I wouldn't worry about it too much, Chris," she said wryly, starting to dry off the glass. "It's just a little lemonade Chris. It really isn't a big deal."

"Speak for yourself, this is a nice rug," Chris quipped as he finished his task, standing back up and looking down to Vanilla. "And I'm sorry for causing you and Cream distress, I just… I really need to get out of this village." Vanilla for her part looked over her shoulder at Chris, her expression sympathetic.

"For what it is worth, I have… a very vague understanding of what it is you're going through," she said softly as she dried her hands off, walking past him and heading back to her chair and her crochet work. Chris for his part stared after her, somewhat bewildered by the statement.

"Really?" he cautiously asked. "How so?"

"I'll explain it another day, Chris," Vanilla said as she focused on her work. "For now though, I would rather get this done."

Chris frowned, his curiosity demanding he press in on the lingering question that had been raised, but ultimately decided against it. Something about her tone, the almost wistul way she had brought up knowing a smidgen of what he was going through made him hesitant to really follow through. Instead he just nodded. "Alright… ah… anything that needs to be done around here? My schedule for the day's been freed up."

"I'd suggest resting up, Chris," Vanilla said from her seat. "If what you say is true, then you're going to be very busy these coming days; enjoy the ability to rest while you can."

"Alright, alright," Chris said with a smirk as he headed back for his room. "I'll lay down for a bit; wake me when Cream and Cheese get back, okay?"

"Okay, Chris."

Meanwhile in the village, the other members of the Rabbeau were having a discussion of their own.

"Come on now Cream, ya'll know you can talk to me," Bunnie said as she sat down beside the younger rabbit, Cheese hovering close and eying Bunnie warily. "Ah'm just askin' because Ah'm a little concerned, sugar-plumb."

Cream hugged her legs to her chest, not looking up to her cousin as she stared ahead. "I promise Chris I wouldn't tell…"

"Ah know, honey, ah know," Bunnie said soothingly, trying to calm the girl down. "But the thing is it ain't healthy for Chris to be actin' this way around Sonic, and I just wanna know why; I wanna understand why, is all."

Cream bit her lower lip, looking out into the forest before looking back to Bunnie as her will began to crumble. "Okay, but… but you can't tell anyone!" she insisted, Cheese nodding in agreement with his mistresses.

"Chao chao!"

"Cross my heart, hon," Bunnie made the motion before her chest with her organic arm. "Ah won't tell a soul," she said with an affirming smile.

Cream took in a deep breath and let it out, then looked into her cousin's eyes. "Um… well… just before we left Pinehaven Chris was fixing up his ship and I told him about Sonic, and he started to act weird, like he was upset. I kept asking why Sonic made him upset and he got angry and said it was because Sonic had never helped his people and he made fighting Robotnik look easy and stuff like that…" Cream looked down the ground now as she recalled the memory of Chris' anger. Bunnie for her part stared down in shock at her cousin as the realization began to dawn upon her.

_What the hoo-hah did he go through t' make him resent Sonic so much? _She thought to herself as she contemplated the chilling possibilities about what could fuel his attitude towards Sonic. "Ah see…" she said, leaning down and giving Cream a quick kiss to the head. "Thanks for tellin' me, honey."

"You can't tell anyone!" Cream said again, looking up at the older rabbit with as much seriousness as she could manage while Cheese landed and waddled to her side. "I promised Chris I wouldn't say anything, I don't want to be a liar!"

"Simmer down sweetie, Ah ain't gonna say nothin'," Bunnie said in an assuring tone, though privately she was now at war with herself. She had to say something about this, but how long could she afford to wait? And how could she do this in a way that wouldn't cause Cream to know that she had betrayed her trust? The thought of lying to someone so young rankled her, but she knew she couldn't just let this go on as it was. Like it or not, Sonic and Chris were living in the same place, and she didn't even want to begin to know what might happen if Chris' resentment towards the hero continued to fester the way it did. "Come on, Ah'll take you two home to your mama, okay?" she said, standing up and offering a hand to Cream, who happily accepted it as she got to her own feet and Cheese floated on up.

"Okay," she said politely. "Thank you very much, cousin Bunnie."

"Chao!"

"Anytime, sugs," Bunnie chuckled as she led the two away, putting on a happy face despite the turmoil building inside of her.

What was she going to do? What in the name of the Source was she going to do…?


End file.
